nucmednet Chapter 435 Su Hongtu is given an important position
Chapter 435 Su Hongtu is given an important position
Just before his departure, two letters arrived in Lingao from Jinan, Shandong: an official letter from the Shandong governor's office and a private letter from Su Hongtu.
Liu Ye read both letters, both related to the upcoming battle in Fengyang.
The official letter from the governor's office was merely a formality, conveying the imperial decree urging the Qionghai Army to immediately proceed to the battlefield. The letter also included a private letter from Zhu Dadian, essentially requesting Liu Ye's assistance during the war, given that he could only take a limited number of troops from Shandong, to avoid being punished by the court after a defeat.
Su Hongtu's private message was concise and to the point: he was asking whether he should accompany Zhu Dadian on the expedition. After Zhu Dadian stepped down as governor of Shandong, the troops within Shandong were no longer under his command. He could only take with him a thousand newly trained soldiers trained by Su Hongtu and fifteen hundred cavalrymen from the governor's standard battalion—his entire arsenal. Zhu Dadian had treated Su Hongtu with great favor, regarding him as a confidant, but he hadn't expected Su Hongtu to be so unmoved by flattery, remaining "physically present but mentally absent."
Regarding the first official letter and Zhu Dadian's private letter, Liu Ye had someone write a reply on his behalf, promising to look after each other after entering Anhui. As for the second letter, after some consideration, he decided to reply and have Su Hongtu accompany him on the expedition. At this critical juncture, withdrawing this new army would be tantamount to stabbing Zhu Dadian in the back, inevitably leading to a complete breakdown in relations and destroying the friendly relationship they had built. The Qionghai Army didn't need these thousand new recruits for the time being, so letting this force gain experience and level up with Zhu Dadian was a good option. Moreover, as the commander of the governor's standard battalion, Su Hongtu would also get the opportunity to train independently.
Liu Ye thought to himself, "I lent it to Zhu Dadian to level up, and then I'll take it back at the right time." In his memory, Zhu Dadian's political career had reached its peak in Shandong. After being transferred to the position of Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and Governor of Fengyang, his career took a sharp downturn, and he was repeatedly demoted. It wasn't until the Southern Ming Dynasty that he got the chance to be reinstated. He was destined not to be able to swallow this new recruit.
Jinan, the Governor's Office.
Zhu Dadian instructed his servants to pack his personal belongings from his study into boxes so they could be loaded onto a carriage and taken away. This was in preparation for his departure to Fengyang to assume his post.
According to the usual rules of officialdom, a transfer to another region or a promotion takes at least a month of painstaking work. From receiving the transfer order to waiting for the successor to arrive from the new location, then taking stock of the treasury and completing the handover without leaving anything unfinished, it's not something that can be done in a few days. This may also involve some unspoken rules of officialdom that the new and old officials understand and need to negotiate privately. For example, if the previous official had a small deficit, as long as the amount wasn't too large, the successor would generally turn a blind eye, leaving room for future dealings. Even for a seventh-rank county magistrate, the handover process is quite complicated; how much more so for the Shandong governor in charge of the three western prefectures?
However, Zhu Dadian's transfer was not merely a promotion in officialdom. He also bore the military responsibility of advancing westward from Shandong to join forces with Hong Chengchou, the Governor-General of Five Provinces, to suppress the bandits. He could not linger and wait for his successor to arrive for the handover; therefore, he had to make special arrangements, leaving behind his official seal and leading his troops out first. The imperial edict gave him a deadline of one month to reach Fengyang, drive away the bandits, and then formally assume the important position of Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and Governor of Fengyang.
After packing his belongings, Zhu Dadian ordered someone to summon Su Hongtu. Before leaving, he wanted to have a good talk with Su Hongtu, as he was an important figure he would rely on to deal with the bandits.
Su Hongtu quickly arrived at the governor's office. He guessed the governor's intention in summoning him, touched the letter in his pocket—it was a reply from the general, ordering him to accompany Zhu Dadian on the expedition—and then stepped through the gate.
Upon seeing him arrive, Zhu Dadian warmly took his hand and sat him down, asking about his well-being.
"Hongtu, how have you been in Jinan these past few months? Have you experienced any problems adjusting to the new environment?"
Su Hongtu grinned and said, "Thank you for your concern, Governor. I'm a rough man, not as refined as a scholar. I eat well and sleep well, so I'm not having any trouble adjusting."
"Hehe, alright then. You've worked hard training the new recruits during this time."
"It's what I should do. Besides, the training was even tougher in Qiongzhou Camp, so I'm used to it."
Zhu Dadian exclaimed, "Liu, the adjutant... oh, now I should call him General Liu. He is skilled in training troops, which is why he can cultivate talents like you. You came from humble beginnings, worked as a blacksmith, and developed exceptional skills. You can even read and write. I'm afraid there are very few soldiers in the entire Ming Dynasty with such an experience."
"Hehe, Governor, you flatter me." Su Hongtu agreed verbally, but in his heart he thought, "That's because you haven't been to Lingao. There are plenty of people like me."
Under the system where military rank determined military pay, coupled with a reasonable promotion mechanism, the officer training program, the predecessor of modern military academies, cultivated a large number of soldiers who started from scratch and became modern officers with both military skills and political knowledge meeting the standards. Su Hongtu was just one of the best among them. It can be said that any officer above the rank of platoon leader randomly picked from the veterans could become a qualified battalion commander or even a lieutenant general in Zhu Dadian's governor's battalion.
After offering his praise, Zhu Dadian got down to business.
"This time, I've been transferred to the position of Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and concurrently Governor of Fengyang. On the surface, it seems like a promotion, but I know my own situation best. Right now, bandits are entrenched in Fengyang, making this governorship difficult," Zhu Dadian sighed. "Unless the bandits are driven out of Fengyang, not only is my position as governor unstable, but I could be demoted in the blink of an eye. My only hope now is you. If you help me win a few battles, I can get through this smoothly; otherwise, I'll have to face the Emperor's wrath. It can be said that my safety, honor, and disgrace all depend on you. You'd better prepare yourself well."
Since his own general had entrusted him with the task of fighting for Zhu Dadian, and given the implications for the conduct of a professional soldier, Su Hongtu was absolutely resolute. He patted his chest and said, "Please rest assured, Governor, I will do my utmost. I cannot guarantee victory, but I will certainly ensure that the bandits suffer."
"Very well, I am relieved to hear you say that." Zhu Dadian promised, "Now I appoint you as the Assistant Commander of the Governor's Battalion, in charge of all cavalry and infantry. After entering Anhui, the troops of the four prefectures of Huai'an, Yangzhou, Luzhou, and Fengyang will also be under your command. Everything is entrusted to you."
"Subordinates obey orders."
Zhu Dadian knew that this campaign against the bandits was unlike the suppression of the rebellion in Shandong, where he commanded all the troops. While there was nominally a governor-general of five provinces, the actual command of all the troops was undoubtedly in Hong Chengchou's hands. Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; all he could do was rely on Su Hongtu, along with the remnants of the troops from Fengyang and the other four prefectures, to ensure the survival of the counties and leave the heavy responsibility of driving out the bandits to Hong Chengchou. However, he didn't know that reality was far more cruel than he imagined, and the bandits were far more cunning than he thought. In the darkness, his fate was already sealed.