Chapter six hundred and fortieth chapters military movements
On October 12, the eleventh year of Chongzhen, thirty miles north of Ruzhou City, in the Ruzhou Army Camp.
"To this day, we know that it is easy to build an army, but it is difficult to raise an army! Alas—!" Yu Zilian shook his head and sighed.
In fact, there was one sentence that Yu Zilian did not say, which was: "The aftermath and compensation for soldiers are even more difficult!"
After establishing the Ruzhou Army, Yu Zilian had always had smooth sailing due to his ability and luck. However, when he began to maintain the army for a long time, he found that he had gotten into a big trouble.
In a word: It’s food and pay! No matter how powerful the army is, as long as there is no food and pay, it will be disbanded sooner or later. The reason why Yu Zilian can support it until now is that in addition to farming in the north of Ruzhou, his status as a civilian official can be obtained from the imperial court.
Food and salary, this solves part of the problem; if you are lucky enough to win all the time and can support the war with war, you solve the other part; and because Wu Shigong wanted the Ruzhou Army to block the west wing, he sold half of it and half gave away funding at a very cheap price
Received part of the weapons and provisions of the Ruzhou Army.
But Yu Zilian knew that this was not a long-term solution. Because Henan was not the main battlefield, and Yu Zilian's Ruzhou Army had an embarrassing status in the court, the court allocated less and less food and salary.
What's even more frightening is that Yu Zilian and Wu Shigong still have a personal grudge, so Wu Shigong may cut off the Ruzhou Army's weapons and food supply at any time. Besides, the last time Wu Shigong was arrested by the imperial envoy also left Yu Zilian with lingering fears. He wouldn't
I am willing to have any relationship with Wu Shigong again.
However, as the battle progressed, the financial gap of the Ruzhou Army became larger and larger. Due to the severe drought, there was almost nothing to produce from the farmland, and Yu Zilian had to allocate grain and grass from the army to local disaster relief.
What is even more distressing is that no matter how successive victories the Ruzhou Army inevitably suffers casualties. The money for pensions and medical treatment flows out like running water, making Yu Zilian wish he could conjure up a cornucopia.
For this reason, Yu Zilian could only take the initiative to disarmament, first reducing the Ruzhou Army to 12,000 people, and then demolishing the east wall to repair the west wall, working hard to support the operation of the Ruzhou Army. He finally realized that
, Wu Shigong has been worried about the financial problems of Runing Army.
Sometimes Yu Zilian also envied military attachés like Zuo Liangyu. If he was as shameless as them and had no bottom line in doing things, then he could use this trick of arranging his army to rob the people.
"Sir! The rewards for the soldiers are too great, and the military pensions are too heavy. Can we save a little or two and support them for a little longer?" Zuo Yin advised.
"I can't bear it!" Yu Zilian was helpless, "It's just to let the soldiers have no worries, and it's far different from that Wu Jiafu. My son treats me like a father and brother. I should also treat my son like a son. We, Ruzhou Army
Everyone is united, thanks to the fact that my son is not afraid of being injured!"
Yu Zilian indeed learned a lot from Wu Shigong's Runing Army. Therefore, he also learned the advantages of the Runing Army in treating soldiers well and paying attention to pensions. Although this standard is still far from that of the Runing Army, in the
The officers and soldiers at that time were definitely treated well. In addition, Yu Zilian always took the lead in fighting, so the Ruzhou Army was maintained into a very united group.
Thinking of his own hard work, Yu Zilian couldn't help but complain in his words: "The Ming Dynasty is so...! Hey! Sometimes I also admire Wu Bifu. After so many years, so many armies,
How can he still maintain it? It's just a loss of reputation. Now, if I can make my son healthy, I don't need to give up those false reputations."
"Sometimes I figured it out. This Ruzhou army is not my private army, but also an official army. I delayed it moment by moment. I saved each person one by one. One day I can't do anything anymore. The most I can do is give up and go back to Changzhou to work and study.
That’s all.”
"Why do you say this, sir?" Zuo Yin immediately accused, "Tens of thousands of tigers and tigers are looking at you! Moreover, you have just passed by, how can you think of begging for bones? Looking around the court and the countryside, there are a few people who are like you, holding hands with nothing.
Raise a strong army? I really want to give you a blow and a wake-up call."
Yu Zilian hurriedly bowed to Zuo and apologized: "Sir, I taught you a lesson. Zilian thanked you! But there is no need to worry about the long-term plan. Now that the Tartars outside the pass have invaded the capital again, I have ordered me, the King of Military Qin of Ruzhou. What can I do?"
Let’s get through this hurdle right now!”
"Then what arrangements do you think should be made?" Zuo Yin asked.
"Eating the emperor's salary is a matter of loyalty to the emperor! The whole army is ready to go north to the king of Qin in three days!" Yu Zilian made a decisive decision.
Zuo Yin had no objections to going to King Qin. However, Zuo Yin still had some opinions about the dispatch of the entire army: "Sir! Ruzhou is the foundation of our army! Should more people stay behind to prevent Shaanxi thieves and other families?"
Snooping?"
"Leave not a single soldier behind, send out the whole army!" Yu Zilian had figured this out a long time ago, "The Tartars are so powerful that removing three or five thousand will have no effect at all. It is better to go into battle as a whole, and at least let the Tartars have some strength.
No scruples. As for the foundation of Ruzhou, I will ask Wu Bifu to send troops to maintain it."
"Ah?" Zuo Yin thought he was hearing hallucinations, "Why would you think of Mr. Wu? Isn't that inviting a wolf into the house?"
"Ruzhou is the gateway to Henan. To protect Runing and lead a peaceful return to Germany, Wu Bifu had to send troops." Yu Zilian explained. Then he was silent for a while, and then gave a rare compliment to Wu Shigong: "Then Wu Bifu is still a good man.
A person who has faith has never regretted his promise. If it had been someone else, he would have really led the wolf into the house."
Zuo Yin was silenced by these words. They all knew how bad the officials of the Ming Dynasty were. If other officials were allowed to interfere with the Ruzhou Army's farming villages, and when King Yu Zilianqin returned, those farming villages might be swallowed up by them without even their bones.
All that's left.
"But if Mr. Wu regrets his promise and refuses to leave, that will be troublesome!" Zuo Yin finally advised. Putting your hope on the credibility of someone with a personal enmity is not trustworthy no matter how you think about it.
"Hey——! Who would want to do this when there is a way out!" Yu Zilian sighed, "Actually, there is nothing wrong with those people falling into Wu Bifu's hands. Besides, King Qin is extremely dangerous this time, and I may not be able to protect him wholeheartedly.
Retreat. If that's the case, it's better to let the son's family members follow Mr. Wu, at least they'll have enough to eat!"
That night, Yu Zilian wrote a letter to Wu Shigong in his own handwriting. There were only eight characters in the letter: "I will go to King Qin and stay in Ruzhou for the time being!"
On October 13, the eleventh year of Chongzhen, in Liu Zeqing's mansion in Caozhou, Shandong.
Liu Zeqing gave detailed instructions to the cronies in front of him: "You must try to meet with Brother Changjing to confirm the time for him to send troops. The Tatars are already active in Tongzhou and Dezhou. If we go north alone, we are likely to fall into a tight siege. Let Changjing elders
Brother, if you cooperate with us, we can take care of each other between the two armies. Remember! We must let Brother Changjing strengthen contact with our army."
Over the years, Liu Zeqing has adhered to the method of conserving strength that he told Wu Shigong. In addition, there has been no war in Shandong, so his Caozhou Army has maintained an army of 20,000. Of course, the number of combat-effective servants among them is at most only 20,000.
four thousand.
Because of the income from the salt farm, Liu Zeqing's massive land annexation during the disaster years, and his trade with Wu Shigong, his small life was actually quite happy.
But when the imperial edict came this time, Liu Zeqing felt unhappy. Why could Qiu Lei, the commander-in-chief of Shandong Province, garrisoned in Dezhou, be able to resist the Qing army's invasion of Shandong in his own hometown, while his own Caozhou army had to go north to King Qin?
But the imperial edict had to be obeyed. It was to serve the king, not an ordinary troop deployment. At least Liu Zeqing had to show loyalty to the king.
So Liu Zeqing prepared to mobilize five thousand troops to go north. However, because he was afraid of encountering dangers on the way, he thought of Wu Shigong and wanted to take care of each other and go north together with Wu Shigong's Runing Army.
"But Marshal! I'm sure I don't dare to slack off when I travel day and night, but it takes more than ten days to come and go. Can Marshal tolerate the delay?" asked the confidant.
"Isn't it easy to find a solution? Don't worry about it. Also! If Brother Changjing refuses to send troops, let him explain clearly, and then I will make other arrangements."
"It's the handsome man!"
"Then go quickly!"
Seeing his cronies leaving, Liu Zeqing began to wonder: Find some reason to delay for a few days? Let's stick to the old method of taking sick leave! He is just bedridden. After solving this problem, Liu Zeqing walked back to the back house with satisfaction.
Tian Liu Zexin took in a concubine, and now she really needs to be "bedridden".
On October 14, the eleventh year of Chongzhen, in Li Lu's camp in Nanyang City.
Li Lu stood on the high platform of the school ground, facing more than 7,000 soldiers and shouted: "Brothers! How have I treated you these years? You can also touch your chest and think about it. No more nonsense. This time
I’m going to go to King Qin!”
"Those eggless bastards at the border can't even tie a hole tightly, and they keep letting the Tatars come to the capital. I, who came from the capital, can't help it anymore, and I want to go meet the Tatars and see what they are doing.
Isn’t it three heads and six arms?”
"In a word: Voluntary! Anyone who is willing to go with me is welcome. If you don't want to go with me, don't be embarrassed. If you want to go with me later, please come to the front and sign up. If you really don't have any brothers to go with me, I will go alone.
At most, more than a hundred kilograms are thrown there, and the Tatars have to see the grace of the men in the capital!..."
Before Li Lu could finish his words, the soldiers below became furious: "I'm willing to fight the Tatars with the commander-in-chief!"
Li Lu has always been very good to his soldiers. He made a big fortune while the soldiers also made small profits, so now that they were encouraged by Li Lu, the soldiers were so excited that they could not control themselves.
Half an hour later, Li Lu listened to his subordinates' report with a glowing face: "Commander, more than five thousand brothers have signed up!"
"There are too many people! Let's take out one thousand and fifty! But all brothers who sign up will be rewarded!" Li Lu said with a wave of his hand.
"Commander! Are there a few people?"
Li Lu immediately burst into laughter: "We only have 1,500 horses, so each person can run faster. And I must have gone with my brother-in-law. Why did I bring so many people with me? Do you think I am so stupid?"
Don’t you think about the safety of your brothers first?”
After hearing this, the confidants around him chuckled.