nucmednet Chapter 354 The Reason for Sending Troops Has Been Established
Chapter 354 The Reason for Sending Troops Has Been Established
Liu Ye and Mu Tianyan both looked at her: "You have a solution?"
Once she entered a state of deep thought, Lin Shiyue regained her usual composure. As she pondered, she said, "According to the imperial court's gazette and my father's letters, the troops sent to quell the rebellion in Shandong were all drawn from nearby areas, such as Tianjin, Changping, Baoding, and Tongzhou. The troops from further away were the elite border troops from Ningyuan. Currently, the rebels have been suppressed in the Dengzhou area, and Laizhou City has also been held firmly in the hands of the imperial court. The rebels have very little room to maneuver, and their defeat is a foregone conclusion. It is almost impossible to transfer troops from the south."
Liu Ye was extremely disappointed upon hearing this. "The rebels are about to be defeated? If we wait any longer, we'll miss our chance. What about your plan?"
Lin Shiyue glared at him and continued, "It's impossible to transfer troops from other provinces on land, but there's still the sea! This mutiny has lasted for nearly two years, protracted and has spread from Shandong to Dongjiang Town. Led by Chen Youshi, the deputy general of Lushun, Mao Chenglu, the deputy general of Guanglu Island, and Geng Zhongyu, the generals of Dongjiang Town are trying to collude with the rebels in Dengzhou. They have attacked Pi Island several times. Huang Long, the general of Dongjiang Town, has already been killed in battle. Only Shen Shikui, Shang Kexi, and others remain on Pi Island, struggling to hold on, but their determination to resist is not as firm as Huang Long's. If Shen Shikui and others also succumb to the likes of Chen Youshi, Mao Chenglu, and Geng Zhongyu, then Dongjiang Town will become the new source of rebellion. Even if Dengzhou and Laizhou are pacified, they will be exposed to the threat of the Dongjiang Town navy."
Liu Ye was somewhat surprised. Since leaving Shandong, he hadn't paid much attention to the mutiny, focusing instead on defeating Zheng Zhilong. Now, two years had passed, and the situation in Shandong had changed drastically; it was no longer the mutiny he remembered. What was supposed to be quelled in a year had dragged on for two years; Dongjiang Town, which had previously been insignificant, had suddenly risen to prominence. Could all these changes have been caused by his own actions, like the butterfly effect?
He composed himself and continued Lin Shiyue's train of thought: "So, the rebellion on land needs to be quelled, Dengzhou needs to be recovered, and the threat from Dongjiang Town needs to be eliminated? And Shandong has no navy except for Dengzhou, so we need to rely on external forces?"
Lin Shiyue gave him an approving look: "You're quick to learn and apply what you've learned. The only naval force in Shandong, Dengzhou, is in the hands of the rebels. If the Liaodong troops from Dongjiang Town cross the sea and join the battle, then the suppression of this rebellion will be a long way off."
Liu Ye pondered for a moment and then asked in return, "But the fact that everyone in Dongjiang Town is determined to join the rebels is just speculation, not a fait accompli. Who can predict the future and be certain of this? Even if the navy is to be transferred from outside Shandong, the imperial court might not necessarily transfer troops from Qiongzhou Prefecture, which is thousands of miles away."
Lin Shiyue sighed: "You can't see the true face of Mount Lu because you're in the mountain yourself. You're so worried about gains and losses that you can't accurately judge the situation. The threat from Dongjiang Town can be big or small, depending entirely on the pens of scholars. As long as they exaggerate it in a memorial, the court can't help but believe it. As for the matter of mobilizing the navy, looking at the whole Ming Dynasty, half a year ago, the strongest navy was none other than Zheng Zhilong, the guerrilla commander of Fujian. Now, it has become Liu Ye, the military commander of Guangdong. As long as you are willing to send troops, or even volunteer, and with Zhu Dadian, the governor of Shandong who is in charge of the suppression of the rebellion, requesting the court to transfer troops, the deployment of Qiongzhou Camp to Shandong will be a natural outcome."
Liu Ye was taken aback; he'd been criticized again. However, he was pleased by these words, though he didn't quite understand the second half. "I have no problem volunteering, but my rank is too low. I'm just a nobody with little influence. How could I possibly have the authority to speak to the Ministry of War or even the imperial court? Besides, Zhu Dadian and I have no connection whatsoever. Why would he request the transfer of the Qiongzhou camp from the imperial court?"
Mu Tianyan casually interjected, "You're still too young. As long as you have connections in officialdom, these things aren't problems. Your official rank is low, but I can submit a memorial recommending you! I'll say that I'm worried about the protracted war in Shandong and wish to share Your Majesty's burdens. There's a military commander in Guangdong named Liu Ye who has trained an elite navy that can block the Dongjiang garrison. As for Zhu Dadian, he has Shiyue's father! The Imperial Inspector recommending a force to the Governor will be beneficial to Zhu Dadian, so he'll give him that much face."
Upon hearing this, Liu Ye felt an urge to burst into laughter. He'd been using his fists for too long, and his ability to leverage connections had become rusty—a strength he'd possessed in his previous life. Luckily, Mu Tianyan and Lin Shiyue were there, having devised all the plans for him. It was truly a case of finding something without even trying. According to their plan, he didn't need to worry about anything; he could simply go home, pack his things, and leave.
He sincerely said to Mu Tianyan, "Thank you for your guidance, Governor."
Mu Tianyan smiled and said, "You should thank Shiyue more. She came up with the idea. I just filled in the gaps."
“Yes, yes.” Liu Ye turned to Lin Shiyue, “I am extremely grateful for Miss Xie’s brilliant idea.”
Lin Shiyue turned her face to the side and answered somewhat awkwardly, "I didn't do anything. I just read the official gazette a lot and couldn't help but say a few words when I heard you discussing it."
"To me, Miss Lin's words are worth a fortune," Liu Ye said earnestly. "I urge Miss Lin to go all the way and write a letter to Inspector Lin and give Zhu Dadian a little encouragement so that I can make my trip as soon as possible."
Lin Shiyue lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and murmured "Mmm".
Seeing her expression, Liu Ye knew that she had agreed, and he felt relieved. He turned around and bid farewell to Mu Tianyan: "Now that things have been settled, I won't bother the governor any longer. I'll go back and make preparations, and wait for good news."
Mu Tianyan stroked his beard and nodded: "Reorganizing the military is an important matter. The rebels in Shandong are not bandits or thieves, and should not be underestimated. I will not keep you any longer. Go. By the way, have you asked the Guangdong treasury to allocate funds for the troop deployment? Are there any soldiers who owe wages and need to be released? On this trip to Shandong, the morale of the troops is of utmost importance. We cannot skimp on the soldiers' money."
Liu Ye grinned and said, "Please rest assured, Governor. My Qiongzhou Camp never owes wages, nor does it need to be mobilized. Governor, you manage such a large area of Guangdong, and there are many places where you need money. You can keep the money in the provincial treasury for your own use."
"I knew you'd answer like that. Very well, an army that doesn't need local treasuries or the Ministry of War to allocate funds for its provisions and pay—everyone likes that. I'm sure my recommendation will work," Mu Tianyan said confidently. Whether it's the emperor, the Ministry of War, or the Ministry of Revenue, who wouldn't prefer an army that is self-sufficient in its provisions and pay?
Liu Ye turned around and bid farewell to Lin Shiyue: "Thank you for your guidance today, Miss Lin. I will come back to ask for your advice another day. I'll take my leave now."
"Wait a minute." Lin Shiyue called out to him, "Are you just going to leave like this? What about Duan Mengrou? You promised her that you would bring her home as soon as you had some free time. You were gone for more than half a year before, and now you're going to fight in Shandong. How long are you planning to keep putting it off?"