They could only feel pain in their hearts and smile bitterly on their faces. They all praised Li Laiheng's "public-private partnership" idea for how clever it was and how it benefited "the people."
With a knife on your neck, what can you do to save your life in troubled times? It’s not easy to fight for profits with the people!
Faced with Li Laiheng's approaching step by step, Yi Daosan really felt that his bottom line was getting lower and lower step by step. If he continued like this, would he become an active member of the thieves, or even a mainstay supporter of the thieves?
Ridiculous.
"To make the government and the private sector work together to benefit the people, you have both Tao Zhu's skill and Duanmu's legacy. It's really admirable!"
Li Laiheng had a smile on his face and struck while the iron was hot. He asked Zhang Yuheng, the deputy envoy of the branch, to arrange for these gentry to have their fingerprints pressed on the spot. How many kilograms of wealth these people had and how much income from field interest they had have long been under the control of the commander-in-chief. Today
It's just a formality, and it also calms their hearts.
After all, at the critical moment when Zuo Liangyu was defeated and returned to Xiangyang, and Ding Qirui returned to Wuchang, Li Laiheng did not want to be attacked from both sides. Although these gentry could be kneaded and rectified, there was no need to eradicate them at this time.
You still have to eat the meal one bite at a time.
"Brother Gu, does the Generalissimo want you to stay with me for a short period of time, or to stay in Huguang for a long time? We are really short of people here! There is a shortage of manpower everywhere, and there is a shortage of people everywhere. You can bring them
These hundreds of riders are all experienced and reliable veterans. If they stay in Huguang and receive a little training, they can all take on important tasks, which will immediately relieve my urgent need."
Li Laiheng also coveted the hundreds of powerful cavalry troops brought by Gu Kecheng.
He is currently busy expanding his army to deal with Zuo Liangyu and Ding Qirui's return to Chu. However, while expanding his army, he also has to transfer a group of backbones from the Chuang army to serve as local officials and village envoys. Where will the manpower be enough?
Although Suiying School has been running for several months, it is still a drop in the bucket and not enough for use.
"When I came to Suizhou, of course I wanted to stay here to help you, Laiheng." Gu Kecheng was brave, adept at fighting, resolute and upright, and was a good general. He said so bluntly, which really made Li Laiheng feel happy.
"King Chuang fought consecutive battles in Henan, and all the officers and soldiers avoided the battle. Now there is only one strong city in Kaifeng left in Henan, which can still hinder the movement of the Chuang army. King Chuang's intention is to let you hold on for a while in Huguang.
As soon as Kaifeng City is breached, the Generalissimo will immediately send his troops south to deal with Zuo Liangyu for you."
Li Laiheng knew that Kaifeng City was not that easy to break, and it seemed that he would have to deal with Zuo Liangyu on his own...
No, you can't say that either.
Ding Qirui is coming back to Wuchang, and Zhang Xianzhong and the fifth battalion of Gezuo who are following him are also coming.
According to the intelligence obtained by the Red Team, both Zhang Xianzhong and the 5th Gezuo Battalion have nearly 20,000 troops. If Li Laiheng can cooperate with the Xiying and Gezuo Alliance to fight together, he can defeat Zuo Liangyu and Ding Qirui at the same time.
It's not difficult for horses either.
Li Laiheng was thoughtful and said to Gu Kecheng: "This is great. Since Brother Gu is willing to help, I will naturally arrange a suitable position for you... Well, it just so happens that the Huguang Army is about to expand its army on a large scale. I
We also plan to slightly change the organization of the Chuang Army so that it can be more suitable for fighting in the hilly and water-filled terrain of the Sanchu Land. Brother Gu, I heard that the Generalissimo reorganized the troops and horses of each battalion after the victory at Zhuxian Town.
, we have decided on new titles such as brigade commander and department commander. Do you know these?"
"Yes, after the great victory in Zhuxian Town, the rebel army increased a lot. In order to facilitate the command, they reorganized the troops and deployed strong troops and divided them into five battalions."
Li Laiheng knew that in later history, Li Zicheng had to wait until he conquered Xiangyang before he established the army in Xiangyang and established the five-battalion military system of the Dashun Army. Unexpectedly, the current situation developed so fast, and Li Zicheng began to regularize the army so quickly.
"Five battalions military system? What are the specifics?"
Gu Kecheng replied: "In addition to the captain, brigade commander, headquarters commander, and sentry commander, the most elite soldiers and horses of the old soldiers of the Chuang Army are the central army, which is called the middle camp, and is led by Commander Tian.
Appoint generals. The remaining four battalions are Liu Fangliang on the left, Yuan Zongdi on the right, and Li Guo on the rear."
Li Laiheng said "Oh" and understood Li Zicheng's arrangement, but he still asked knowingly: "What about the front camp?"
"The former battalion naturally comes to Heng and your troops. The generalissimo does not know the specific situation of your development in Huguang, so it is inconvenient to directly appoint the generals at all levels in the front camp. I will leave it to you, the general of the former battalion, to do whatever you want."
Li Zicheng was very worthy of himself. He trusted and valued him so much and gave him the power to act on his own convenience and independently appoint generals at all levels in the front camp. He was really a closed-door emperor and an open-door judgement.
It seems that the military ranks of the five battalions formulated by Li Zicheng are still in the order of generals, generals Guoyi, generals mighty, captains, brigade commanders, department commanders, and sentry commanders. In later history, Liu Zongmin and Tian Jianxiu served as higher-ranking generals than generals.
A first-level General Quan, but looking at the current meaning, it seems that Li Zicheng only asked Tian Jianxiu to serve as the same general as the commander of other battalions, and did not set up a higher-level General Quan.
Is this for balance? Or is it because Tian Mixiu has performed poorly in recent times?
Li Laiheng calculated in his mind that after this wave of military expansion, he estimated that he would have nearly 20,000 soldiers on hand.
In Li Zicheng's original establishment, each target was about 7,000 men. The establishment was too large and suitable for fighting in the vast Central Plains, but not suitable for fighting in Huguang, a water network and densely hilly area.
He had discussed some plans with Gao Yigong, Fang Yiren, Guo Junzhen and others before, and the arrangements were roughly as follows:
The sentry is the most basic combat unit. Every ten infantrymen are organized into one sentry, and there is a total of one sentry;
Five spear sentries (pikemen are equipped with bows and arrows), and five sword sentries (the swordsmen are equipped with firecrackers or bows and arrows. If the firecrackers are rich, some of the swordsman sentries can be completely adapted into firecrackers sentries). Set up an infantry team.
One person in charge of the department;
An infantry brigade consists of four infantry teams and one artillery team (which has five artillery posts, mainly small Franchise guns, general guns, and tiger squat guns, which can be used centrally in wartime or dispersed to various infantry teams).
, set up one person in charge of the brigade;
The cavalry brigade has a small organization, with three cavalry teams and a total of 300 cavalry; the artillery brigade has five artillery teams, with ten to more than twenty light and heavy artillery pieces depending on the ratio of light and heavy artillery;
Four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade, and one artillery brigade (if fully equipped, they will be equipped with 25 general cannons firing 3-pound lead bullets) are one infantry standard; four cavalry brigades, one artillery brigade are one cavalry standard.
; There is one mighty general and three captains (the flag and drum captain, the left captain, and the right captain).
The above-mentioned infantry standard of 3,000 people and the cavalry standard of 2,000 people are all basic tactical corps, which can probably cope with most combat situations in the Huguang area (of course, in terms of artillery and muskets, the number of equipment is still far from enough, so we can only leave it empty and wait.
Will be completed in the future).
According to this organization, the Huguang Army has nearly 20,000 people, which can be divided into four infantry units with 12,000 people, three cavalry units with 6,000 people, and one artillery unit with 2,000 people.
A force of 20,000 people organized in this way is definitely a very powerful force and can serve as a strategic field regiment on its own.
At the highest battalion level, Li Laiheng's plan was to set up one general, General Zhi, and two generals, Guo Yi.
Since Li Zicheng asked him to act cheaply, for the sake of convenience, the central command of the front camp can use the same team in the commander's office, that is, one team, two brands, and joint offices.
Naturally, he himself has to serve as both the military governor of Huguang and the former camp general, and the subordinate officials of the military governor's office, such as secretary-general Fang Yiren, Du Yingtian envoy Bai Wang, and branch envoy Bai Jiuhe, can also be directly responsible.
Let’s start with the related responsibilities of the front camp.