flstandardbreds Chapter 106 The strategist recommends himself, and Uncle Zhang is enlightened.
Chapter 106 The strategist recommends himself, and Uncle Zhang is enlightened.
Just then, Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," heard two soft "thumps" from the floor above, followed by a continuous series of creaks from the bed legs...
Then it became even more intense...
"Oh dear, this, this, this is unbearable to look at, unbearable to look at! Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman..."
Upon hearing the commotion, the "wise strategist" Wu Yong immediately understood what was happening. He was so angry that he threw down his fan and pointed at the floorboards above, which were making a rustling sound. He was speechless.
Wu Yong had heard Yan Poxi's insults earlier. He had thought he wouldn't bother with a woman like her, but he hadn't expected that she would cause trouble again so soon!
"I think this harlot will be a source of trouble sooner or later, and will harm Brother Gongming. I have to think of a way to get rid of her sooner or later!"
Wu Yong secretly made up his mind, while Song Jiang, although willing to "do his utmost," was severely exhausted from the previous night's exertion and was now "willing but unable," finding it difficult to continue...
"Whew, it's so tiring, but also so enjoyable..."
Song Jiang embraced Yan Poxi, panting heavily.
"It's alright, I'll do it...!"
Before Song Jiang could say anything, Yan Poxi had already taken a red pill from a box next to her and stuffed it into Song Jiang's mouth...
"Hey! This...this...what do you take me for...?"
When Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," heard that the sound of the waves upstairs was still the same, he was furious. This was too disrespectful to him. So, instead of looking for Song Jiang, he decided to go to Jizhou Prefecture himself to recommend himself!
Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," arrived at Jizhou Prefecture and went straight to the outside of the prefectural government office. He bowed to the yamen runners and said, "Gentlemen, please inform the prefect that someone has answered the call for talent and has come to request an audience. Please use this little bit of silver to buy some tea! Don't think it's too little!"
Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," knew very well that Yama was a troublesome king and his underlings were difficult to deal with, especially these gatekeeper underlings. If you didn't feed them well, you wouldn't even be able to get in. So he handed one coin to each of the two guys at the gate.
"Alright, alright, please follow me!"
Most of the doormen in this era were still decent human beings; they knew how to get things done for money, and they immediately led the "wise strategist" Wu Yong to Zhang Shuye's side.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, someone has responded to the recruitment notice!"
Zhang Shuye was originally studying the map to understand the situation of Liangshan Marsh, but it was indeed his first time here, and he didn't have a particularly good understanding of the overall situation of Liangshan Marsh. Just looking at the map wasn't enough to make him clear about the key points.
Just then, the doorman came to report, and Zhang Shuye immediately told him to invite him in.
Zhang Shuye was eager to find talented people. He was very clear that to get things done, one thread cannot make a line, and one tree cannot make a forest. Without help, it was simply unrealistic to take down Liangshan Marsh.
When Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," entered the government office, he also adopted a very aloof demeanor, transforming his temperament into that of a "recluse of antiquity," with a touch of arrogance.
His appearance naturally aroused Zhang Shuye's curiosity. Zhang Shuye was also skilled at judging people. Back when Zhang Shuye was an envoy to the Liao Kingdom, he was the first to hit the target during an archery competition.
The Liao people were astonished and wanted to examine the bow he used. Zhang Shuye refused, citing that there was no precedent for this. After returning from his mission, Zhang Shuye drew five maps of Liao's mountains, rivers, cities, clothing, and customs, and presented them to Emperor Huizong of Song. This was equivalent to gathering intelligence on Liao territory, and yet this man managed to escape unscathed.
Without the ability to generate electricity, Zhang Shuye could not have done this.
He then went to see the "wise strategist" Wu Yong. First of all, Wu Yong was quite eye-catching. Why? Because he dressed himself up to look like a "mini Zhuge Liang." Standing there, with that aloof demeanor, he really did seem to have a bit of an "extraordinary" air about him.
Zhang Shuye understood that people with real skills are usually a bit arrogant, with a temper that is seven or eight parts haughty. Because they are very capable and have real talent, they are proud of their abilities.
Moreover, Zhang Shuye was different from other civil officials. He was skilled in martial arts, capable of archery and horsemanship, and could fight on the battlefield. Therefore, he also discovered that although Wu Yong looked like a scholar, his shoulders were broad enough, and he did not seem to be a weak and incompetent talker.
After all, Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," could use two copper chains to separate Liu Tang, the "Red-Haired Devil," and Lei Heng, the "Winged Tiger," from their broadswords, so he still possessed some fighting ability.
"This junior, Wu Yong, greets Your Excellency."
Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," bowed respectfully. Zhang Shuye said, "No need for formalities. You came here in response to the call for talent. May I ask which of the Hundred Schools of Thought you studied, and what your expertise is?"
Zhang Shuye's question was actually not a problem; it was essentially asking the "wise strategist" Wu Yong to introduce himself.
However, Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," did not answer honestly. Instead, he said, "Whatever you want, I can give you."
Although Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," maintained a calm expression when he said these words, Zhang Shuye was instantly unsettled upon hearing them.
Why? Because what Wu Yong said was too grand and too presumptuous.
What does it mean that Wu Yong can give Zhang Shuye whatever he wants?
Does Wu Yong really have that much ability?
In Zhang Shuye's eyes, this way of elevating oneself was no different from the deceptive tactics of the strategists of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. They talked big and used their eloquence to their advantage, like Su Qin, Zhang Yi, and Gongsun Yan of ancient times, but it did not bring any real benefit to the country or the people.
However, Zhang Shuye was, after all, a cultured official. He couldn't possibly lash out at "The Wise Star" Wu Yong directly. Instead, he sneered and asked Wu Yong, "My only thought right now is to quell the banditry at Liangshan Marsh. I wonder if you, sir, can help me do so?"
"I have come here for this very reason. May I ask you, sir, how do you plan to deal with Liangshan Marsh?"
With just a few words, the strategist Wu Yong threw the question back at Zhang Shuye, who then had no choice but to answer him.
"Train the troops, persuade the people, and annihilate the bandits."
Zhang Shuye didn't actually reveal his true feelings; he just said it casually to get the ball rolling, as he was very curious to see what Wu Yong was really planning.
"I'm afraid that's not enough. Does Your Excellency know where the key to Liangshan Marsh lies?"
Wu Yong said confidently, certain that his words had been enough to pique Zhang Shuye's interest.
"Please state your opinion!"
Just as his "wise strategist" Wu Yong had predicted, Zhang Shuye became interested. Wu Yong then gestured with his fan and said, "Liangshan Marsh is eight hundred li in circumference, all of it is water, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If the government troops attack, this is a natural barrier. No matter how you train your troops, they will still have the advantage."
"However, this 800-li-long marshland can block us, but it can also block them. Just think about it, which bandit group can grow their own land and produce their own food? They can't solve their food, clothing, and daily needs within this marshland, so they can only try to plunder from the outside."
"The villages, towns, and prefectures near them are their targets for looting, but if we can prevent them from looting anything..."
When Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," finished speaking, Zhang Shuye understood what Wu Yong meant. Wu Yong wanted to implement a scorched-earth policy, letting Liangshan Marsh run out of resources.
"You mean, surround Liangshan Marsh and eventually starve them out of food? How is that even possible? The marshland covers an area of eight hundred li. If we were to defend every part of it, it would probably require an army of one hundred thousand!"
Zhang Shuye vaguely felt that Wu Yong's plan was actually feasible, but the main problem was the cost. Even if an army of 100,000 was distributed within an area of 800 li, some places might be very weak, and the manpower would be too much to bear.
“It is certainly not advisable for us to station troops here, but we can relocate the people near Liangshan Marsh. This way, even if these bandits want to plunder after coming down the mountain, they will find nothing to take from any direction. The large cities are well-fortified, so they will not dare to attack. This way, they will have no choice but to lead their troops to plunder other more distant places, which will give us time and opportunity to prepare and cut off their retreat on their way back!”
The idea of Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," is actually very similar to the "relocation of people from their homeland and prohibition of maritime trade" policy during the Qing Dynasty.
The policy of "relocation and sea ban" refers to a policy implemented in the early Qing Dynasty to weaken Zheng Chenggong's maritime power. The government ordered coastal residents to relocate dozens of miles inland and prohibited ships from going to sea.
Starting in the twelfth year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the policy of relocating coastal areas and prohibiting maritime trade began to be implemented along the Zhejiang coast. By the Kangxi reign, this policy had been extended to other coastal provinces. This created a coastal vacuum zone longer than the Great Wall, which was either thirty or fifty li wide. The widest vacuum zone was in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, reaching over three hundred li.
The Qing government's purpose in relocating people from the coast and prohibiting maritime trade was to cut off the outflow of people and goods from the coast, thereby blocking supplies and trapping the remaining Southern Ming forces at sea, causing them to collapse without a fight. The two policies of prohibiting maritime trade and relocating people from the coast interacted to form a no-man's-land along the coast, which served as a buffer zone and together played the role of "scorched earth".
Zhang Shuye listened to Wu Yong's explanation and still felt it made sense, but he also considered another issue.
What if these people don't want to leave? The people of China are most attached to their homeland, and their attachment to their homeland is very strong. They all believe in "returning to their roots."
If you force them to move, not to mention whether they agree or not, just implementing it will be extremely difficult and subject to resistance. There are at least tens of thousands of people living within an 800-mile radius. If you make them all move, the vast majority of them would rather die than move. In that case, it might trigger a popular uprising.
Zhang Shuye's concern was precisely the backlash caused by the Qing Dynasty's policy of relocating people from coastal areas and prohibiting maritime trade. In order to strictly enforce the policy of relocation, the officials and soldiers in charge of the relocation destroyed all the most important resources for the survival of the coastal people. Houses were burned down, fertile fields were abandoned, salt fields were abandoned, all coastal ports were closed, and all ships and docks were destroyed. It was a truly horrific tragedy.
Zhang Shuye didn't want to create this situation, but if he were to implement Wu Yong's strategy, this was still a very important part that he had to use.
If you force these people to leave their homes, then you must find a way to resettle them. After they leave their homes, they will lose their houses, land, and livelihoods. How will they survive? The government can't just let them all become refugees, can it? You have to take care of their livelihoods.
But with so many people, how long will it take to stop them? Taking down Liangshan Marsh is not something that can be done in a day. Just keeping them trapped in the marsh and starving them would probably take more than a year. This period is extremely long.
If this policy is strongly supported by the imperial court, with policy backing and the court providing substantial support behind the scenes, then Zhang Shuye might find it feasible.
However, Jeju Prefecture alone might not be able to accommodate tens of thousands of people who were forcibly relocated!
If they are not properly resettled, these starving people are more likely to become a displaced force in the area, uncontrollable, and may even go to Liangshan Marsh to join their gang!
"This method is probably not suitable; it's too difficult!"
Zhang Shuye said.
"My lord, you can think about it carefully. Actually, this matter is not difficult to handle. In fact, not all places around this 800-li marshland meet their criteria for plundering. For example, the west and north are barren and sparsely populated swamps, stretching for nearly 100 li. Even if they were to come down the mountain to plunder, it is unlikely that they would go in this direction. Therefore, when they go to plunder grain and fodder, they will probably come down the mountain from the east and south."
As Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," spoke, he stepped closer and pointed out the exact location on the map to Zhang Shuye.
"As for the eastern and southern regions, there are actually twenty-one villages near Liangshanbo Lake. I have already calculated that the population is probably no more than 20,000. As long as they have nowhere to find food within sixty miles of Liangshan, they will either attack the county town and the prefecture, or they will have to go far away to the nearby prefectures and counties, which will be a long and arduous journey."
Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," had been thinking about this plan for many days. He knew that it was unrealistic for the government army to form an army that could surpass the fighting power of Liangshan Marsh in a short period of time.
Therefore, he hoped to come up with a plan, which did not necessarily involve military force, but rather a plan to cut off the vital supply line of Liangshan Marsh from another direction. So he thought of starting with the food supply, to "cut off the fuel supply from under the cauldron".