Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 433 Preparing to Send Troops

When the Ministry of War's order arrived in Lingao, it sparked discussion among the Qionghai Army. Opinions differed on whether the newly expanded army, still in its adjustment period, should obey the court's command to suppress bandits in Henan at this time. Some believed the army, having just expanded and with too many new recruits, should bide its time and either outwardly comply while inwardly resisting, or find a reason to refuse. Others argued that elite troops are forged through battle, and that staying at home would never create a strong army.

Amidst the conflicting opinions, Liu Ye convened a meeting of all military personnel at Nanyuan.

Everyone, including military commanders such as Shi Ying and Xu Yifan, as well as strategists such as Sima De and Sun Yuanhua, were speculating whether the general was going to convene everyone to discuss whether to send troops. However, Liu Ye's first words set the tone for the whole affair.

"I have called you here today not to discuss whether or not to send troops, but to plan the deployment of troops."

The group exchanged bewildered glances, surprised by the general's resolute stance.

Yan Guang asked cautiously, "General, the army has only been expanded for a few months, and most of them are inexperienced new recruits. Isn't it a bit hasty to send them to Henan and Anhui to fight bandits now? According to the imperial gazette, the two most capable bandits currently entrenched in Fengyang are Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong. Hong Chengchou is the governor-general of five provinces, commanding all the bandit suppression troops. We will definitely be under his command. Given his cunning, he will surely push us to the front to fight these two bandit groups. Regardless of the outcome, the losses will be considerable. Is it worth it to spend so much money for the court?"

As Liu Ye listened, he silently thought to himself, "You all don't know, the real big boss isn't Gao Yingxiang or Zhang Xianzhong, but Li Zicheng. He's the gravedigger of the Ming Dynasty. This guy is practically indestructible. He was once reduced to only eighteen horsemen and had to hide in the Shangluo Mountains, but he actually made a comeback, leading hundreds of thousands of troops to invade Beijing."

Sun Yuanhua retorted with dissatisfaction: "What do you mean it's not worth it for the court? The bandits burning down the imperial tombs is disrespectful to the court, and taking refugees into their fold is poisoning the people. From any perspective, these madmen who have no ruler or father and harm the people should be wiped out. If the war in the Central Plains is quelled, it will be a blessing for the court and a good thing for the general."

Yan Guang understood the hidden meaning in his words. Although on the surface it was fighting for the imperial court, since the Qionghai Army had the vision to care about the world, they could take a longer-term view and eliminate more bandits, which would pave the way for their future rule over the Central Plains. This reason was irrefutable, so Yan Guang chose to remain silent.

Liu Ye said, “Mr. Yan’s concerns are not without merit. However, veterans are also trained from the ranks of recruits. If they are afraid to fight because they are afraid of dying, even the best weapons are just paper tigers, all show and no substance. Moreover, if we don’t use bandits to train our troops now, are we going to use Tartars to train our troops in the future? No matter how fierce the bandits are, most of them are just a rabble and they are not stronger than Tartars.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. It was said that "ten thousand Jurchens are invincible," and the Tartars were almost unbeatable against Ming soldiers. While there were many reasons for this one-sidedness, the Tartars' formidable fighting power was undeniable. In contrast, while the bandits were numerous and powerful, they were mostly displaced people coerced into service and were frequently chased and beaten by government troops. The difference in strength between the two was obvious. Using the bandits to train troops and then use them to fight the Tartars made perfect sense.

Liu Ye continued, "Mr. Sun's words make sense. Eliminating more bandits and stabilizing the situation in the Central Plains would be a good thing for the Qionghai Army. After we enter the Central Plains, we cannot waste all our energy on being attacked from both sides by bandits and Tartars. We must suppress one of them first and concentrate our efforts on dealing with the other."

After briefly explaining the motives and reasons for sending troops, Liu Ye began to make arrangements for the deployment.

"Xu Yifan, step forward!"

Xu Yifan was excited and stepped forward to reply, "Your subordinate obeys."

"You will lead the Second Regiment of the Qionghai Army into Anhui to participate in the battle to suppress the bandits."

Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Xu Yifan straightened his chest, gave a sharp salute, and loudly replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Yan Guang, listen to my command."

"My subordinate is here."

"This campaign to suppress the bandits is unprecedented in scale, number of forces involved, and complexity of situation compared to any of our previous campaigns. You will lead the selected staff officers to the front lines to command the battle."

Yan Guang was overjoyed. This was a golden opportunity to make a name for himself! He suppressed his joy and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, sir!"

After the establishment of the Military Intelligence Staff Office, following Liu Ye's instructions, he carefully selected officers from the middle-level officers of the entire army. Those with a strong educational background, quick thinking, and a good overall perspective were chosen to join the Military Intelligence Staff Office as probationary staff officers. This expedition was an excellent opportunity to hone this still somewhat inexperienced staff team.

"Sun Yuanhua, obey my command."

Sun Yuanhua stepped forward calmly. "Please give your orders, General."

"Although the entire army is not mobilized for this expedition, we will spare no effort in terms of military equipment and supplies. The Quartermaster Bureau must go all out to ensure a sufficient supply of weapons, ammunition, and provisions, and we cannot hold the soldiers back."

"Please rest assured, General, I will do my utmost to ensure that the soldiers have no worries."

After calling out the names of these people, Liu Ye read out a name that surprised everyone.

"Wang Qinian, obey my command."

Wang Qinian, who had been completely invisible in the crowd, quietly appeared, his face still calm and composed: "Your subordinate is here."

Liu Ye looked at him and said, "I didn't expect to be heading to the Central Plains to fight so soon, so I didn't have time to pay attention to the intelligence part that you were in charge of before. But good things come to those who wait, and we can still talk things over. I've decided to formally establish the Military Intelligence Division, with you as its director, responsible for the collection and analysis of enemy intelligence, reporting directly to me, and working with the Military Intelligence Staff."

A hint of joy flashed in Wang Qinian's eyes, and he cupped his hands in a salute: "Your subordinate obeys."

“Gathering intelligence is a tough job, especially on the battlefield, where the situation changes in an instant, and going deep behind enemy lines can be life-threatening…” Liu Ye thought for a moment and said, “You have full authority to appoint and dismiss the personnel of the Military Intelligence Division. I will not interfere. Just ask for the expenses you need. As long as they are used effectively, I will give you as much as you need.”

Wang Qinian was both moved and excited that the general had given him so much autonomy. It seemed that the general's promise to build an intelligence agency comparable to the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not unfounded. He had a feeling that he would achieve remarkable results in this position.

He said with tears of gratitude, "General, you have placed such trust in me. I can only repay you with my utmost loyalty and dedication, even unto death."