I want to be emperor

Chapter 101 Staying at Liqing Store

Luo Zhixue summoned the people from the grain requisition office to ask the grain requisition office to once again mobilize elite troops to accompany the army to register and compile records and at the same time carry out grain requisition work in the new control area. The people from the grain requisition office have already left Shandong in the east. I did it once in Shan County.

Although Guo Quanshu, the former deputy director of the Grain Requisition Department and head of the Field Mu Section, has now been transferred to the Civil Affairs Department as the director, most of the other staff in the Grain Requisition Department have been trained to complete the statistics of loot with the army and the requisition in the new control area. Food work is still possible.

After finalizing the grain requisition department, Luo Zhixue and the grain and salary department did a good job of transshipment of strategic materials, especially the gold and silver reserves.

It is impossible for Luo Zhixue to run away with the army by himself, and leave precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper coins worth more than 20 taels of silver in Songshan Village. These are the only gold and silver reserves of the Township Protection Army. To purchase strategic materials, especially gunpowder and related raw materials.

After the money is transported south, it will basically be handed over to the Commerce and Trade Office to purchase strategic materials, especially iron, gunpowder, and raw materials for making gunpowder, such as saltpetre and sulfur.

The continuous use of troops requires the consumption of a large amount of strategic materials. Not to mention iron materials, gunpowder is a big problem.

Today, the gunpowder consumption of the Rural Protection Army basically relies on sneaky purchases. It not only directly purchases finished gunpowder, but also purchases saltpeter, sulfur and other raw materials for self-made.

In short, buy whatever you want, as much as you want!
This also means that the ammunition supply of the Rural Protection Army relies heavily on outsourcing, and the supply will be cut off if it is not careful.

In this regard, although Luo Zhixue intends to change, there is nothing he can do in a short time. After all, there are neither saltpeter mines nor sulfur mines in the area controlled by the Township Protection Army.

Saltpeter is alright, you can make a little bit of it with local methods, but there is absolutely no way to produce sulfur on your own...

The only way out for now, Luo Zhixue, is to ask the Commercial Office to step up purchases, don't be afraid to spend money, increase the price that should be raised, and bribe what should be bribed.

Why do you say bribery...

Because the gunpowder and its raw materials currently used by the rural protection army seem to be purchased secretly from businessmen, but these things are serious strategic materials.

Individuals buy a little bit and no one cares, but it is basically impossible to buy in large quantities.

Those who can have large quantities of such strategic materials these days are either the government or the business houses that are close to the government.

And why can the Baoxiangjun Commercial and Trade Office still purchase in large quantities?

Naturally, it was because of the amount of money given.

After all, the civil servants and military generals of the Ming Dynasty also had to support their families. Since they had in-demand materials such as gunpowder, saltpeter and sulfur, if they didn’t get some money to support their families, how could they still count on that little salary.

Not to mention other places, let's talk about the gunpowder workshops under the government's control in Xiangyang, almost one-fifth of the output was bought by the Baoxiang Army Commercial Office.

And if you want to successfully take the gunpowder from the gunpowder workshop of the government, in addition to the purchase money for the gunpowder itself, you have to satisfy the appetite of the officials who manage the workshop.

At the same time, Fenghe Trading Company, the largest saltpeter and sulfur distributor in northern Chu, has the same surname as a big boss in the capital...

This Fenghe Commercial Firm is very interesting. In addition to the government gunpowder workshops in various places, its customers also include the Baoxiang Army Commercial Office.

Even the Baoxiang Army Commercial Office is their largest single customer, basically taking 15.00% of their monthly sales of sulfur.

And when the commercial office asked them to purchase raw materials, the price was naturally very expensive, otherwise they would not sell them at all.

After all, everyone is not stupid, and people also know that this kind of caravan that has no heels and secretly purchases saltpeter and sulfur in large quantities is definitely a caravan of some rebels.

If you don't give enough money, how can someone sell it to you.

The money eventually ended up in the hands of the actual controller behind the firm.

At the same time, the Commerce and Trade Office wanted to transport typical prohibited materials such as gunpowder and gunpowder raw materials back to Funiu Mountain, but they couldn't transport them by themselves, otherwise they would be seized before leaving the dock.

How did it come back?The commercial office adopts the method of cash on delivery, and the big commercial firm directly transports the goods to the edge of the mountain, and handover with the commercial office, and there is another layer of expensive shipping charges.

During the entire process of purchasing strategic materials, the Commerce and Trade Office spent a lot of money but got urgently needed strategic materials.

And those officials are also full of oil, so happy!

So don't think that the large amount of gold and silver seized by the Township Protection Army is useless if they can't be eaten or worn. These gold and silver are of great use.

Luo Zhixue naturally wanted to bring the gold and silver with him when he went south.

After Luo Zhixue returned to Songshan, he began to make arrangements for going south. Five days later, when everything was ready, Luo Zhixue officially went south with the army.

This time going south, Luo Zhixue brought the [-]st Infantry Battalion, the [-]rd Infantry Battalion, the [-]st Artillery Post, the [-]st Cavalry Post, the [-]st Supply Post, and Luo Zhixue's direct sentry.

The soldiers in the above ministries are all professional soldiers, with a total strength of about 500.

In addition to these soldiers, an additional reclamation camp of about 400 people was mobilized to transport supplies.

At the same time, Luo Zhixue also brought more than 200 civil servants and craftsmen.

Combining civil and military officials, soldiers, auxiliary soldiers, and craftsmen, the total number of Luo Zhixue's troops heading south this time is about 300.

These people went all the way south from Songshan Village, crossed a small road in the mountains, and entered the hilly area in the south of Funiu Mountain, which is the Longtou Township area.

This area is also currently under the control of the Township Protection Army. When the Township Protection Army set up a township government office, it also set up a township government office in the southern peripheral area of ​​Funiu Mountain, called Longtou Township, to control this area.

When the Township Protection Army set up townships, a total of six townships were established, namely Songshan Township in the depths of Funiu Mountain; Longtou Township in the southern peripheral hilly area; Sangou Township in the eastern peripheral hilly area; and Lushan County in the east. Shahe Township (Songjiazhuang); Huangtu Township in the northwestern part of Lushan County, and Yangshan Township near Ruzhou.

Among them, Longtou Township is located in the southern peripheral area of ​​Funiu Mountain. Strictly speaking, this Longtou Township already includes a part of the area under the jurisdiction of Nanzhao County.

After Luo Zhixue led the army into the Longtou Township area, although most of the area was still hilly, there were many mature villages and roads.

Even if these country roads are not very good, horse-drawn carriages can barely pass through them. If it is really impossible to pass, the roads can be temporarily widened.

This southward journey was more difficult than the previous eastbound one. Luo Zhixue and the others took people over mountains and ridges and walked for seven or eight days before arriving near Li Qingdian.

Liqingdian is a relatively densely populated town nearby, because it is adjacent to the Baihe River, and there is a small tributary flowing into the Baihe River here.

It can barely be regarded as a traffic artery, so some merchants have gradually gathered here. The merchants set up shop here to do business, and do business with passing business travelers. At the same time, there are several surrounding villages farming land.

Naturally, the rural protection army would not turn a blind eye to such a place, whether it was for food, gold and silver or to open up roads, they had to take down this Li Qingdian first.

Li Qingdian said it was a small town, but apart from the surrounding farmers, there were actually not many residents in the town, only a few hundred people, and such a small town naturally couldn't have a large number of officers and soldiers. The safety of the town is maintained by the guards organized by local merchants and gentry at their own expense.

For such a small town, naturally Luo Zhixue didn't need to personally arrange and organize an army to attack, or even send out the main force of the First Infantry Battalion, Xu He led the Third Infantry Battalion into Li Qingdian.

It only took half a day to take this place and completely control the town.

In the afternoon, accompanied by a group of civil and military officials, Luo Zhixue formally entered Li Qingdian, and stayed in a house voluntarily donated by local wealthy businessmen.

With Luo Zhixue officially staying here, it also means that the Township Protection Army has officially entered Nanzhao County and launched follow-up operations.

In the evening of that day, Luo Zhixue held a military meeting, once again assigned various tasks, and prepared to gradually sweep up and control the nearby villages.

"The third infantry battalion going east should pay attention to the rhythm, and don't get too close to Nanzhao County, so as not to irritate them."

"The same is true when the First Infantry Battalion is heading south. Don't get too close to Nanyang Fucheng. In principle, it should not go more than fifty miles south."

"Our early task is not to fight with officers and soldiers, nor to attack Nanzhao City or Nanyang City, but to control the surrounding rural areas to obtain more strategic materials, especially food and iron materials."

"In the short term, it is necessary to avoid attracting the attention of officers and soldiers as much as possible."

"We need time to gather food, time to train recruits, time to build artillery and muskets."

"There are not many officers and soldiers in Nanzhao City, but there are Chen Yongfu's main officers and soldiers in Nanyang Fucheng. Just in case, the First Cavalry Post and the First Artillery Team followed the First Infantry Battalion."

When Luo Zhixue announced a series of orders, the generals under his command naturally had no opinion. In fact, Luo Zhixue held a meeting this time, and said it was a meeting, but it was just a final confirmation.

In fact, these combat plans had already been roughly planned by the staff office before going south, and on the way south, according to the news from a large number of sentries and scouts, the staff office also perfected the plans and let the various ministries involved in the combat plan carry out the plan. Prepare accordingly.

For example, if the First Infantry Battalion and other troops want to go south, they have to cross the Baihe River first. There is no big bridge on Li Qingdian's side that can pass artillery weighing several hundred kilograms and carriages full of supplies.

They also had to prepare to build a temporary pontoon bridge on the Baihe River to the south of Li Qingdian, so that the artillery of the first artillery post, a large amount of ammunition, grain, grass, and carriages could pass.

Therefore, everyone basically knew their missions in advance, and now it was just a final confirmation.

After talking about the action plan, Luo Zhixue set his sights on Wang Dazhuang: "This time you stay here, Lao Wang, and prepare to lead the [-]th Infantry Battalion."

After Wang Dazhuang heard this, although he knew that Luo Zhixue was going to set up the fourth infantry battalion in the near future, and he would be the battalion commander of the fourth infantry battalion, after hearing Luo Zhixue's words, he still had an uneasy expression on his face. Live happily, salute while saying: "This subordinate is willing to die for the great general!"

Luo Zhixue stood up with a smile on his face, stretched out his hand and said, "They are all my brothers, so there is no need for so many etiquettes, get up quickly!"

"I've entrusted the Fourth Infantry Battalion to you. You have to practice hard and strive to form combat effectiveness as soon as possible!"

(End of this chapter)