plumnovel Chapter 75 Government Army Counterattack
Chapter 75 Government Army Counterattack
At the end of June in the second year of the Tianqi reign, the situation in Shandong underwent a dramatic change.
The news that had made Shandong officials uneasy finally arrived—the imperial army to quell the rebellion had arrived.
It wasn't just local garrison soldiers like Yang Zhaoji, but the real "Beijing Garrison" and guest troops transferred from border towns.
On June 28th, dust filled the sky and blocked out the sun on the official road outside Jinan.
Lu Yan stood on the watchtower atop the city wall, holding a telescope in his hand, watching the massive army that was entering the western camp of the city.
"Those are... soldiers from Tianjin Town?"
Zhao Changying stood to the side, pointing to the large banner embroidered with "Governor of Tianjin," and said, "Judging by their equipment, they're much better off than those beggars from our Jinan garrison. They even have a few cannons!"
"That's the support firepower from the Shenji Battalion."
Lu Yan put down the binoculars, his brows furrowing slightly.
This army was indeed well-equipped, with brightly colored battle jackets, a forest of swords and spears, and even a well-organized cavalry unit. Their arrogance, emanating from their very bones, could be smelled from two miles away.
But what made Lu Yan frown was not their fighting strength, but their discipline.
In the footage, several straggling cavalrymen are waving whips, driving a group of ragged civilians like livestock. Several large carts are piled high with chickens, ducks, livestock, and even women's colorful clothes—clearly not military supplies, but spoils "collected" along the way.
"Bandits pass by like a comb, soldiers pass by like a fine brush."
Lu Yan coldly uttered these eight words, "These guests are probably even more difficult to deal with than Xu Hongru."
The influx of foreign troops into Shandong often meant another catastrophe for the local people. Fighting in unfamiliar territory, they had no sense of belonging to their homeland, and killing innocent people to claim credit and plundering their property were commonplace.
"Pass down the order."
Lu Yan turned to Zhao Changying and ordered, "Immediately activate 'Level One Alert' at our militia base and safe zone. Set up barricades at the camp gate, and have musketeers on duty 24 hours a day. Whether they are bandits or government troops, anyone who trespasses without my order will be warned with a warning shot. If they still disobey..."
He paused, a fierce glint in his eyes, "Hit him in the legs."
"yes!"
……
That evening, the Jinan government hosted a banquet to welcome the commander of the reinforcements who had come from afar.
As the leader of the "Jinan Volunteer Corps" and a key figure in charge of logistics, Lu Yan was naturally among those invited.
At the banquet, toasts were exchanged, and the atmosphere was so lively it felt almost artificial.
Seated in the main seat was the newly appointed Shandong Governor, Zhao Yan. He wore a scarlet robe, his expression dignified and imposing. Below him sat several burly generals.
"Is this Commander Lu?"
After several rounds of drinks, Governor Zhao's gaze fell on Lu Yan, who was sitting at the last seat.
Lu Yan stood up and gave a respectful bow: "Student Lu Yan greets Your Excellency, Governor."
"Hmm, not bad." Governor Zhao stroked his beard, his eyes filled with scrutiny. "I've heard General Yang mention you quite a bit on my journey here. He said that your local militia of a few hundred men not only defended the south gate of Jinan but also broke through the enemy's blockade and delivered life-saving grain to Yanzhou. You have courage and skill."
"You flatter me, sir. I am only trying to protect my hometown."
"Preserving one's hometown is a good thing." Governor Zhao changed the subject, "However, now that a large army has gathered, the allocation of provisions must be uniformly arranged by the headquarters."
coming.
Lu Yan felt a chill run down his spine. This was an attempt to seize power.
"Of course." Lu Yan's expression remained unchanged. "Lu Ji's carriages and horses are at your disposal, Your Excellency."
"Very good." Governor Zhao nodded in satisfaction. "I plan to break camp tomorrow and head straight for Xu's stronghold, Yuncheng. Your convoy will accompany the army and be responsible for transporting supplies for the central army. We must achieve victory in this one decisive battle!"
"Accompanying the army?"
Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. This was no easy task. Serving with the army meant being bound by military law, and could even mean being used as cannon fodder and thrown into the moat.
"grown ups."
Lu Yan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "It is my duty to accompany the army in transportation. However, I have a request."
"speak."
"Lu Ji's convoy is equipped with special equipment and its tactics are different from those of the government troops," Lu Yan said unhurriedly. "If they were mixed in with the central army, they would probably not only fail to make full use of their transport capacity, but their unfamiliarity with each other would also disrupt the army's formation."
He glanced at the several officers beside him who were staring at him with greedy eyes, and continued, "I humbly request that Lu Ji's convoy operate as an 'Independent Supply Battalion.' We will provide our own rations and guards, and will only be responsible for transporting supplies to designated locations. As for the marching route and setting up camp, please allow us to proceed as we see fit."
"How dare you!"
A general with a full beard slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "You, a mere militiaman, dare to bargain with the governor? And you want to act independently? I think you're just trying to amass power!"
The atmosphere in the lobby froze instantly.
Lu Yan smiled. He took out an account book from his sleeve and gently placed it on the table.
"General, you flatter me. The reason I say this is because our Lu family's grain transport has never had a loss rate of more than 10%. As far as I know, the government army's supply battalion is lucky if they can save 5 out of 10 shi of grain when it reaches the front lines."
He surveyed his surroundings, his gaze sharp as lightning. "Does Your Excellency require an obedient lackey, or a capable official who can deliver every single grain of ration to the front lines?"
Governor Zhao narrowed his eyes and stared at Lu Yan for a long time.
The lobby was so quiet you could hear the crackling of the lamps.
After a long while, Governor Zhao suddenly burst into laughter.
"Excellent! What a capable person!"
He waved his hand, gesturing for the angry general to sit down. "Since you have the ability, I will grant you permission to act independently! But let me make this clear: if you delay military operations..."
"Bring me your head."
Lu Yan answered decisively.
……
Stepping out of the government office, a cool night breeze was blowing.
Zhao Changying followed behind Lu Yan, still somewhat shaken: "Master, that was too dangerous. Those thugs looked at us like they wanted to eat us alive."
"They want to eat people."
Lu Yan said coldly, "We're a piece of meat now, and everyone wants a bite. If we hadn't stood up for ourselves earlier, our convoy would have been broken up tomorrow and distributed among the various generals as laborers. At that point, not only would the vehicles have been destroyed and people killed, but we wouldn't even know how we died."
He looked up at the southern night sky, where he could vaguely see dark red flames. It was Xu Hongru burning down villages in an attempt to slow down the advance of the government troops.
"Changying, go back and tell Zhao Tie."
Lu Yan's voice was deep. "Take out those five newly built 'improved Franz Guns' and load them onto the truck. This time, we're not only transporting grain with the army, but also showing these government troops what 'firepower coverage' really means."
"Times have changed. In the future, a loud voice won't do; a powerful barrage of attacks will."
In July of the second year of the Tianqi reign, with the counterattack of the main government forces, an unprecedented encirclement and suppression campaign was about to begin. Lu Yan and his "Jinan Militia" would intervene in this decisive battle that would determine the fate of Shandong in a unique way—as merchants, soldiers, and observers.
This massive, violent machine has begun to operate, and Lu Yan is trying to become an indispensable lubricant, or even... a control lever, in this machine.