Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 405 Deterrence by force
"My Lord, should I go to Luanzhou?" Xuanli's question made Li Chi suddenly understand something. After taking the military order and reading it again, he suddenly laughed.

The previous anger at being ignored was gone.

Li Chi understood instantly that this trouble was not mine, but Xuanli's.

"Whether you go or not, don't ask me the truth." Li Chi answered very straightforwardly. Xuan Li was stunned for a moment. His level was still a little low. He thought that using this military order that did not mention Li Chi's name would anger him. He never expected that others were more far-sighted than he thought and directly threw the difficult problem back to him.

"Well, you are the cabinet minister, isn't it normal for me to ask you?" Xuanli was a little confused and asked.

Li Chi looked at him with a sneer and said nothing.

Xuanli... After a brief pause, Xuanli finally reacted.

Previously, the imperial court had issued an order for Xuanli to come to the capital, but he claimed to be ill and refused to go. When Li Chi went to ask him about it, Xuanli simply pretended to be sick and did not meet him.

Now that I think about it, is Li Chi a cabinet minister?
When Prince Dongping was conducting military exercises in Liaodong, the imperial court tolerated you, and Li Chi could only bear with it.

Now you try again, unless you dare to rebel. Otherwise, even if Xuanli surrenders to King Dongping, his fate may be to be sent to the court as a gift.

It can only be said that Xuanli has not yet seen the situation clearly. After Jia Lian defeated the grassland bandits led by Li Ni, the King of Dongping decisively stopped the exercise. Xuanli, on the other hand, was still immersed in the mentality of being able to advance and retreat freely.

Now Jia Lian is here, with a military order, will you obey it or not? You know, this is a military order.

"Goodbye!" Xuan Li also figured it out. He would not get any help from Li Chi. Even if he threatened with a knife, Li Chi would still help. He knew the difference between one person dying and a family dying.

It can only be said that after thinking it through, Li Chi was the most calm. Even if he was hacked to death, he would accept it. If he didn't die, he could still return to the cabinet, or at worst, he could go out and become a governor.

The reason is very simple. The task given to Li Chi by the court was to stabilize Xuanli, and he completed it brilliantly.

After Xuanli left, Li Chi was not idle either. He quickly wrote a letter and asked someone to send it to Luanzhou early the next morning. That is, the city gate was closed, otherwise the messenger could have set off overnight.

After leaving Li Chi, Xuan Li called all his generals to come overnight. After showing them the military order, Xuan Li asked, "Should I go or not?"

A small number of the generals in Shanhaiguan were not Xuanli's direct subordinates. They said without any pressure that of course they would go, as the military order clearly stated that the commanders of all units must go to observe the autumn military exercises.

Xuanli had no choice but to call out a few names and ask them to stay, and everyone else to go back first.

These people were his absolute confidants, and Xuan Li did not hide it in front of everyone: "I have been outside the Great Wall for a long time. It doesn't matter if I return to Beijing, but I am afraid that my foundation outside the Great Wall will not be preserved."

The group of trusted followers kept silent in a rare tacit understanding. Xuan Li did not understand why everyone reacted in this way. The real reason was very simple. As the commander-in-chief, you must come up with an idea in this situation and let everyone follow it. After all, this is not a small matter. This is a military order. As a general, the consequences of disobeying the military order are too serious.

All I can say is that Xuanli's hesitation at this time was a character flaw.

Xuan Li felt that people's hearts were wavering in the face of silence, but he did not force his subordinates. He waved his hand and said, "You all go to Luanzhou tomorrow! Then, tell them that I am too sick to get up and see how Jia Lian reacts. Let's see what the so-called invincible Shenjiying is really like."

Xuanli, who had no advice, had to make his own decision. Everyone agreed and said goodbye and went back.

The reality is very clear. For the generals under Xuanli, it is fine to follow him to gain benefits, but they should not think about rebelling. No matter how strong Shanhaiguan is, can it be stronger than the King of Dongping? He took the initiative to withdraw from Shanhaiguan, indicating compromise.

Riding a fast horse alone, you can reach Luanzhou from Shanhaiguan in the evening.

The next morning, before dawn, the city gates opened, and a group of generals and their followers rushed out and headed straight for Luanzhou.

As soon as Jia Lian got up, he received a notice that Han Long led his troops to pay a visit to the governor.

A memorial requesting military pay was used to win people's hearts and had an immediate effect.

Jia Lian was not in a hurry either. He calmly washed and dressed, and changed into a second-rank official uniform. Even though this governor was only temporary, the second-rank official uniform was real and everyone recognized it.

After Han Long and his party entered the camp, they looked at the neatly arranged camp along the way. There was a guard post every three steps and a sentry post every five steps. The defenses were tight. The soldiers on the sentry posts were in high spirits and they were obviously elite.

Considering Jia Lian's battle record in Zhangjiakou, where less than 30,000 troops defeated 100,000 grassland cavalry, Han Long and others felt that if they went to Tongzhou camp, they would definitely be abused.

As for the excuse of equipment advantage, Han Long and others are all veterans. They can tell at a glance whether an army can fight. These soldiers have murderous intent in their eyes and have seen blood.

When Jia Lian was dressed neatly and sitting in the central military tent, Han Long and others were already waiting outside the tent.

The messenger came out to deliver the message, and Han Long and others straightened their armor and filed in. Seeing Jia Lian sitting still, everyone bowed and saluted. Han Long led the singing: "This humble general greets His Excellency the Governor. I am wearing armor and cannot perform the full salute. Please forgive me." The army saluted, and everyone saluted in unison. The momentum was good, and they looked like a strong army.

Jia Lian then slowly stood up and clasped his hands in return for the greetings: "Everyone, Jia is polite!"

After greeting each other, Jia Lian got straight to the point: "Everyone has been here for a few months. Do you know how many soldiers there are in the Shanhaiguan direction and how strong they are?"

This was considered an assessment, and Han Long had been prepared. He motioned for someone to bring up the map, and after spreading it out, he pointed at the map and said, "Sir, the situation is that in the past, the Mu bandits occupied Shanhaiguan and actually controlled large areas in the west, north, and east of Liao. Although Xuanli was the general, he actually lived in southern Liao, where the land was small and the soldiers were few. After the Mu bandits withdrew from Shanhaiguan, Xuanli's troops received support from the court and were strengthened. Shanhaiguan was said to have 30,000 combat troops, but in fact, most of them were miscellaneous soldiers, and their combat power depended entirely on servants. Xuanli originally had 2,000 servants, and after he became the garrison commander of Shanhaiguan, he raised another 1,000 servants. The remaining generals only had 200 to 300 servants. Therefore, the Shanhaiguan garrison, the number of troops that can actually be used for field battles, does not exceed 6,000."

Jia Lian looked at the map and found that the Jia family’s farm in Liaodong did not seem to be in southern Liaoning, but within the sphere of influence of King Dongping.

For some reason, Jia Lian thought of many things, even Miaoyu. Jia Zheng chose to be exiled, Jia She chose to lie down, and Jia Zhen fell ill. Who else could bring Miaoyu to the Jia family?

The Zhen family? Haha, the Zhen family has already fallen. The only one left is Jia Jing. I hope he doesn't choose death.

Jia Lian was still very clear-headed. No matter how lustful he was, he should not touch Miaoyu. No one knew if there were any spies of the Dragon Guard around her.

Signaling the staff to bring the map, Jia Lian pointed at the map and gave orders: "Here, the Tongzhou camp will leave the city immediately and set up camp here. This autumn exercise, the exercise is about how to defend against the attack of an army equipped with only firearms. Whatever tricks your unit has, just use them. The autumn exercise directorate will be absolutely fair and will not favor any side. The staff office will have regulations on how to judge the details of the battle results, so just go and find out."

Han Long took a look at the location on the map and his face turned a little ugly. The map showed a flat plain with no strategic location to defend. Thinking that the Tongzhou camp was the defending side, Han Long felt that it was fair. Han Long took the order to retreat, and hurried back with his men, reorganized the troops, led them out of the city, and set up camp and built fortifications at the location designated by Jia Lian.

When it comes to how to defend, they are all veterans in the army and naturally have their own ways.

Let me put it this way, the nature of the military in this era determined that many military technologies were mastered by generals and were kept secret.

To be more specific, everyone has read "The Art of War", but you can't just read a book and then go to war, right?

How to set up camp, how to deploy troops, how to arrange defenses according to the terrain, and how to deal with problems that arise during combat, these are the things that military rookies need to learn most.

In terms of military ability, Jia Lian is not very good, but his strength lies in the advanced tactical concepts brought by the new equipment of the Shenji Camp.

Of course, some people rely on talent to make a living. Even if they are rookies, they know what to do when they enter the battlefield. This is an exception.

Putting aside the so-called unique skills of generals, building an army is not difficult. Rewards and punishments are clear and orders are enforced. It is just that the actual operation is a little complicated and the work must be done meticulously.

Many of Jia Lian's ideas for building the Shenjiying were definitely ahead of their time. In particular, the idea that there are superiors and subordinates in the army, but no distinction between high and low personalities, which was implemented in the Shenjiying, brought unity from top to bottom. In addition, the treatment was good enough, so it would be strange if such an army had no combat effectiveness.

To put it bluntly, the Tongzhou camp claims to have 15,000 men, of which 2,000 are vacancies. This is no secret in the army. This is the situation after Yue Qi's reorganization, and it was even worse before.

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Let's put it this way, even if the court paid the military salaries in full according to the roster, the officers would still cheat, not to mention that it is impossible to pay the full amount.

This kind of thing would never happen in the Shenji Camp, and the reason is very simple: the existence of Jia Lian.

Before dark, more than a hundred riders arrived outside the camp. The sentry stopped them and asked them about the order. They learned that it was a general's order from Shanhaiguan, so they signaled everyone to wait.

Soon, an advisor came out and ordered everyone to go in, and the followers to stay and follow him to see Jia Lian.

The group of people were just like Han Long. As they walked in, they saw everything along the way and gave up the last bit of hope in their hearts.

That's right, Shanhaiguan is a natural barrier, but it can only exist as a natural barrier for a long time if it has the support of money and food from the imperial court. If he really becomes a rebel, how long can he persist? Even if he surrenders to the King of Dongping, what will he do? Do he really dare to compete with the entire country inside the pass with the Liao territory?
When everyone saw Jia Lian, they were so respectful that no one could find fault with their manners.

Jia Lian signaled everyone to introduce themselves, and everyone came forward one by one. When they learned that Xuanli claimed to be ill and could not come, Jia Lian asked everyone to leave with an expressionless face and stay in the camp tonight and set out with the Shenji Camp early tomorrow morning.

The next morning, before daybreak, a sharp whistle sounded in the camp. The Shanhaiguan generals spent a night of anxiety, and when they found that no one was arrested, they secretly felt relieved. Some of Xuanli's confidants thought that maybe it was because Xuanli didn't come that Jia Lian didn't dare to take action against them.

Everyone got up quickly and left the tent. They found that the camp seemed to be crowded and chaotic, but in fact it was well organized. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do. There was no noise except for the officers' orders, the sounds of the animals, and the soldiers' movements. The soldiers of the Shenji Camp got up and packed up the tents step by step. After setting up the tents and loading them onto the trucks, they took turns to wash and get food. After breakfast, they put on their bags and began to line up following the whistle and commands.

Watching this process, the generals from Shanhaiguan trembled in their hearts and felt chilled to the bone.

The soldiers marched out of the camp and assembled outside the camp. The logistics soldiers appeared, took away the wagons, dismantled the fences and other defensive facilities outside the camp, and loaded them onto the wagons.

Outside the tent, on the open space, all the soldiers marched in teams and formed camps, standing quietly in the bleak autumn wind.

Looking at the entire Shenji Camp at this time, there was no sound at all, only the sound of the wind echoing in the ears and the occasional uneasy neighing of livestock.

Jia Lian appeared in front of the generals of Shanhaiguan and said, "Follow this commander quietly! Just watch, don't ask!"

After everyone expressed their understanding, Jia Lian turned around and asked, "Are you all ready?"

The Chief of Staff came forward and replied: "The military order has been issued, and all units can set out at any time."

Jia Lian nodded, and the Chief of Staff shouted, "Raise the flag!"

A red triangular command flag slowly rose on the flagpole. The cavalry of the front army set out first as the vanguard, followed by the infantry and artillery protected in the middle.

During the entire departure process, there were only commands and the soldiers were as quiet as mutes.

The hearts of the generals at Shanhaiguan sank when they saw the Shenji Camp lined up in strict formation. They were completely chilled when they saw the process of their departure.

Everyone has eyes, the 18,000-man Shenji Camp is solid and no less. When Jia Lian set out, Jia Lian, who had changed into modern clothes, turned over and let go of his horse, and was in the middle of the army.

The people of Shanhaiguan followed silently, and when they looked at Jia Lian and his guards' attire, they were terrified again. The guards were all wearing three-piece suits: carbine, revolver, and saber.

The carbine, pistol and saber fully demonstrated their superiority in the battle of Zhangjiakou. Now that the pistol has been replaced with a revolver, its close combat power has been greatly increased.

It is not news that the Shenji Battalion is equipped with rifled guns. Everyone knows that rifled guns are accurate. Maybe they don't have much advantage over smoothbore guns in a large-scale array in a smoky environment, but in the windy north, this is a huge advantage. When there are few people, rifled guns can directly crush smoothbore guns. We are all veteran soldiers, and everyone knows that even gods can't hit a smoothbore gun accurately at a distance of fifty steps.

Not to mention, some careful people have discovered that many of the rifles equipped by the Shenjiying did not have firing cartridges. So how did they fire?

I want to know, but no one dares to ask.

The whole process, from breaking camp to everyone setting out, took one hour (two hours). The organizational ability demonstrated by them made everyone in Shanhaiguan completely despair.

If we fight in a field battle against this army, there is no chance of winning.

During the four-hour march, the people of Shanhaiguan saw other horrifying details.

During the march, they took a break. All the soldiers sat down on the spot to rest in teams. Those who needed to go elsewhere would ask for permission first, and then take turns to go, ensuring that the entire team was ready to fight at any time.

(End of this chapter)