nucmednet Chapter 396 Establishment of Military Towns
Chapter 396 Establishment of Military Towns
Liu Ye naturally didn't want to be a ragtag general, treated like a dog by the Ministry of War, summoned wherever trouble arose. For example, a military officer like Liu Zeqing wouldn't dare utter a sound if the Ministry of War wanted to transfer him, because his rations and pay were controlled by the imperial court. And generals stationed in Xuanfu, Datong, and especially Liaodong, guarding the borders, were not easily transferred by the Ministry of War, nor could they be easily moved, unless there was an imperial edict. Although his rations and pay were independent, and even if the Ministry of War wanted to transfer him, if he stubbornly refused, Qiongzhou was far from the emperor's reach, and no one could do anything to him. But this wasn't a long-term solution. Moreover, being a general guarding a region made recruiting soldiers and attracting talent much easier; the appeal of a mere adjutant or ragtag general was always limited.
He asked, "This humble general naturally aspires to be the commander-in-chief guarding a region; I'd rather be a high-ranking official than a lowly one. I would appreciate your guidance, Governor, on how to proceed."
Zhu Dadian knew he would say that. A capable and shrewd military general with good connections would naturally be unwilling to be a ragtag commander. He suggested, "The merits I reported to you—establishing a military garrison—are no small matter. Apart from the nine border garrisons established to defend against the Tatars, our dynasty rarely sets up other military garrisons. However, things are up to people. It's impossible for you to emulate the nine border garrisons, but you could emulate Dongjiang Garrison."
Liu Ye was taken aback for a moment: "Dongjiang Town?"
"That's right. Back then, Mao Wenlong led troops to aid Korea as a military commander and stayed in the Liaodong area. After Liaodong fell, he escaped back by sea and took advantage of the vacant defenses to kill the Later Jin general guarding Zhenjiang. He then occupied Pi Island and the surrounding islands, thus creating a check on the Tartars. The court valued this and appointed Mao Wenlong as the General Commander-in-Chief of Pingliao, with the title of Left Vice-General, the seal of a general, and the imperial sword, and appointed him to guard Dongjiang."
Liu Ye understood somewhat: "Does the governor mean that I can also follow Mao Wenlong's example and establish a town in Qiongzhou?"
"Indeed, your navy's ability to annihilate the rebel fleet in one fell swoop is enough to prove its strength. Now that Zheng Zhilong of Fujian is dead, the vast sea frontier cannot be left unguarded. We can use the pretext of clearing the sea, guarding the southern frontier, and preventing the Western barbarians such as the Red Hairs and Japanese pirates to have the Guangdong governor submit a memorial to the court requesting the establishment of a garrison in Qiongzhou."
Liu Ye was overjoyed; this was an excellent idea. He asked, "Having Governor Mu submit a memorial is no problem, but what are the chances of getting His Majesty's approval?"
Zhu Dadian thought for a moment: "There's a 50% chance of success, and whether it succeeds or fails depends on His Majesty's decision. However, if there are any attacks from Japanese pirates or Japanese Wokou during the process, then there's a 90% chance of success. Unfortunately, as early as the Jiajing era, Qi Jiguang wiped out the Japanese Wokou in Fujian and Guangdong, and now the Japanese Wokou that roam the south and cause trouble have almost disappeared..."
Liu Ye laughed. Making the Japanese pirates come back would be easy. He could just tell the Satsuma Domain to send some samurai to form a "Ming Dynasty sightseeing group" to revisit the old place. He could even directly appoint Shimazu Chiyo as the "leader of the Japanese pirates." As for the Dutch, it wouldn't be difficult to have Batavia send a few ships to Guangdong and Fujian for a tour and fire a few cannons. He doubted the Dutch governor would dare to refuse.
He replied, "This humble general understands, thank you for your guidance, Governor."
After bidding farewell to Zhu Dadian, Liu Ye returned to the Qiongzhou camp without stopping. He first gave Lin San a few instructions, telling him to prepare according to his orders, and then entered the tent where Lin Shiyue was.
"Miss Lin, please change into men's clothing and come with me to see your father. He has important matters to discuss."
Lin Shiyue had come disguised as a man, so her clothes and shoes were readily available. Seeing his solemn expression, she didn't ask any questions, quickly changed her clothes, and left the tent with him. Shimazu Chiyo, who had been in charge of protecting Lin Shiyue during this time, went to call her Japanese samurai when she saw that the two of them were about to leave.
Liu Ye stopped her: "Dengzhou is currently under the control of the government troops. The rebels have been defeated, and the city is relatively safe. There are very few Japanese around in Shandong. Your men are too conspicuous, so it's best not to go out. Just stay in the camp and wait. You can come with me."
The three traveled light, accompanied only by a dozen or so guards, and went straight to find Lin Tianming.
When they found Lin Tianming, he was busy arranging for the distribution of provisions and supplies to various troops. Dengzhou had just been recaptured, but the city had been ravaged by the rebels, and the official granaries were empty. In addition to the provisions stored in the army, they also had to requisition supplies from surrounding prefectures and counties. He was extremely busy. When he saw Liu Ye and his daughter appear, he was taken aback: "What are you doing here?"
Liu Ye said directly, "Lord Lin, these trivial matters can be handled by your subordinates; the sky won't fall. I have something important to discuss with you, and a decision must be made as soon as possible."
Lin Tianming hesitated and said, "But if I don't stay here to oversee things, I'm afraid my men won't do a good job. If they delay the tasks assigned by the governor, I'm afraid I'll be punished..."
"It's a trivial matter, don't worry about it, and the governor won't punish you for it. What I want to tell you is much more important than this. It concerns our future."
Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised upon hearing this and turned to look at his daughter with a questioning gaze. Lin Shiyue shook her head, indicating that she didn't know the details either, and then said softly, "Father, let's put what we're doing aside for now."
Lin Tianming trusted his daughter, and seeing that she agreed, he nodded, called over a clerk who accompanied the army, gave him a few instructions, and then said to Liu Ye, "This is not the place to talk. Go to my tent."
Liu Ye and the Lin family father and daughter entered the tent, leaving Lin San, Shimazu Chiyo, and others to wait outside. Then, he lowered the curtain, and the surrounding noise immediately subsided, leaving the tent quiet.
Liu Ye cut to the chase: "Lord Lin, I just came from the governor's office. The governor also made a promise to me. Everything is ready except for the final push. Now it's up to you and me to make a move. Two things: First, I will help you get the position of governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, and then find a way to rebuild the Dengzhou and Laizhou navy so that my troops can be stationed in Dengzhou under that name; second, I will be promoted to commander-in-chief and establish a military garrison to guard the area."
Even though Lin Tianming had been reminded by his daughter that Xia Tiannan was ambitious and capable and that he should try to befriend him, he was still taken aback when he heard these words. Both things were extremely difficult, especially the latter.
"Well... isn't it a bit too much of a leap for me to go straight from a seventh-rank imperial inspector to a governor? As for establishing a military garrison, that's even more impossible..."
Liu Ye knew that these two pieces of news would have a great impact on Lin Tianming, so he patiently relayed Zhu Dadian's words and then said, "I have made a great contribution, which is also of great benefit to the governor. In addition, I have bribed him with a lot of money, so the governor is willing to speak well of us in his memorial. The ladder has been set up. As long as Lord Lin uses his connections in the capital to make some moves, it will not be difficult for him to take the position of governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou."
Lin Tianming pondered for a moment. If Zhu Dadian was willing to give it a push, what seemed impossible was not impossible. The Imperial Inspector was promoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, which would give him the foundation to become the governor. In addition, the governorship of Dengzhou and Laizhou was vacant. With some connections and maneuvering, it would be a matter of course for him to sit in this position.