The Red House starts from Liaodong

Chapter 72
If you know too much and have too many choices, you will fall into confusion.

The same is true for Tang Qing'an.

Should we follow Mao Wenlong's old road and go north to attack Zhenjiang, or should we go all out to develop Changxing Island?

Zhenjiang is located in the north of Liaozuo, where the gateway to North Korea is located. It is a very important city. Like southern Liaoning, it can respond to everyone.

In the original history, Mao Wenlong succeeded in raiding Beizhen, but did not cause much damage to the barbarians.

Afterwards, the old slave sent heavy troops to retake it back. Apart from losing his own troops, Mao Wenlong's biggest loss was the complete annihilation of the local power towards the imperial court.

After Mao Wenlong was defeated, he returned to the island to accumulate strength.

In the second year, the old slave aggressively attacked Beizhen and captured Guangning. Since then, the imperial power has shrunk to Ningyuan.

This is also the reason why Tang Qing'an has been reluctant to launch an attack on Fuzhou. Instead, he persuaded the generals of Fuzhou and the guards of Yongning City to stand still.

With these people present, it is possible to ensure that he is in a place where no one is alive.

And even if Fuzhou was captured according to their plan, relying on his own strength, he had no confidence in being able to defend against the barbarian counterattack.

From all aspects, the loss is too great, and the gain outweighs the gain.

Unless you have [-] to [-] soldiers.

At present, his own strength is only more than [-] people, and more importantly, there are not enough soldiers.

Since he received a batch of weapons and armor last time, the second supply has not yet arrived. Shi Nai wrote to him and told him that there was nothing he could do.

Guangning has only recruited tens of thousands of new soldiers so far, and the horses, armor, and weapons are not complete, and they are unable to support Changxing Island.

After all, Guangning is the first goal.

When Tang Qing'an was struggling, two gentlemen Feng Shengzhi and Gu Yingshi came and complained.

"General, please send more food."

Feng Shengzhi's energy was haggard, and his face was full of exhaustion.

Tang Qing'an shook his head.

He knew the purpose of the two of them, and they came to ask for food for the people.

The court did not have any new supplies, so he could only choose to let the people go hungry and provide a meal of porridge a day to keep them full.

As for someone dying of malnutrition and illness, it is beyond his consideration.

There is only so much food, and he can't change it out of thin air. He must distribute food strictly according to the plan.

"The two meals a day for soldiers in the camp can be reduced to one meal of porridge, and one meal of dry rice. The remaining food can let more people breathe."

Gu Yingshi explained his solution.

He and Feng Shengzhi are the only two scholars on Changxing Island. As for Juren, he left with Shandong officials long ago.

Tang Qing'an sighed and shook his head.

There are still more than 3 shi of grain in the camp treasury. If there are only [-] people on Changxing Island and more than [-] people on other islands, it will be enough to support until October.

It's just that he can't ignore the people who are constantly flocking from all over the place.

There is only so much food, so it can only be arranged in this way.

"In that case, can the general come with me to the porridge shed?" Feng Shengzhi wanted the general to see the plight of the people in person.

Words can't impress this person, maybe seeing the cruel reality changed his mind.

Tang Qing'an did not refuse this time.

The two are the most important people in Changxing Island at present, and he will respect their wishes no matter what.

With a group of generals and officers, beside him are Feng Shengzhi, Gu Yingshi, two scholars, and seven or eight students.

The general has always respected scholars, and repeatedly ordered the soldiers not to treat scholars lightly. Therefore, although Feng Shengzhi and others have no official position, they have a high status.

The soldiers held up banners, and among the countless shacks of various colors, the common people gave way one after another.

Feng Shengzhi and Gu Yingshi whispered to each other from time to time.

A group of people walked to the porridge shed, Tang Qing'an personally picked up the spoon, and moved it a few times in the pot, neither thick nor thin.

The porridge in the pot is for the strong men who reclaim the wasteland, and they eat porridge and rice twice a day.

This is the situation everywhere, and the porridge sheds for women, children, the elderly and the weak in other places are even worse without looking.

As for the soldiers, they work together in the battalion, which is a bit better than here.

Therefore, all the young and strong people on the island want to be soldiers. They don't have too many ideas, they just want to eat two more meals.

It's a pity that Donghai Battalion had recruited [-] soldiers, so Tang Qing'an stopped recruiting, leaving [-] vacancies for empty pay.

It's not that he has a dark heart, it's just the rules of the officialdom.

Even if he has someone in the imperial court, Dengzhou will not give him full military pay. It is a custom to deduct one or two points, and no one can change it.

At the same time, someone was carrying the bridal sedan chair, so it was impossible for him to keep his head down and not look at the road, and he had to send some filial piety to Jinzhou and Shandong on New Year's Day.

And it has already been calculated that some treasures and silver taels will be sent to Ningguo Mansion before the new year.

This is his "filial piety" to the Jia family.

"Put a dry meal in three days."

After the inspection, Tang Qing'an did change his mind. Seeing that the general was firm and unwilling to let go, Feng Shengzhi and the two had no choice but to give up.

They are short of food here.

Fuzhou is also short of food.

The old slave didn't care, he could only find Jinzhou.

Golden State is different from Fuzhou.

The participating general here is Geng Bingyuan, who used to be the garrison of Kuandian Fort. After being surrendered by Li Yongfang, he helped the old slave surrender many forts in the two or three months of his journey south. Among the Han generals, he was trusted.

Therefore, there are 3000 soldiers in Jinzhou City, 300 barbarians, 1000 Lushun soldiers, and 1000 Xinjin soldiers to guard against Deng Peng.

A righteous person secretly contacted him, was severely tortured by him, and then beheaded directly, and his head was given to the old slave to show his loyalty.

At the same time, strict orders were taken everywhere to prevent refugees from fleeing to Changxing Island, and those who found promising orders would not stay behind and killed a lot of people.

He personally led people to Fuzhou, and with Fuzhou general Zhao Gouyong, barbarians Ajiga, Fu Angku, Qianhu Peng Dahai, Liao Yong and others, looked at the looming islands on the coast.

"I have already found out that there are only a thousand or so Zhou soldiers on the other side, and we have 7000 soldiers in total. I want to cross the sea and annihilate them."

Geng Bingyuan knew very well the combat effectiveness of the Zhou army, as the defense of the original side, so he was not worried.

The only worry is how to cross the sea.

"General Geng's idea is good, but it's a pity that we don't have a boat. Should we build some rafts? I'm afraid it will capsize in the waves before we land on the island.

Zhao Gouyong wanted to dispel Geng Bingyuan's idea.

He knew that the person in front of him was a die-hard loyalist among the surrendered generals, and he was completely devoted to the barbarians, so he didn't dare to reveal his position at all.

"The general thinks it's feasible. If we connect the raft together, we won't be afraid of overturning. As long as we land on the shore, victory will belong to us."

Qianhu Peng Dahai said suddenly.

Zhao Gouyong glanced at Peng Dahai and said nothing.

"Okay, let's follow this plan."

If we can't build a boat, we can't build a raft.

The more Geng Bingyuan thought about it, the more excited he became.

Tang Qing'an, who received the news, was also very speechless.

It seems that he doesn't have to worry about it anymore, God has made arrangements for him.

All the fleets are not allowed to go to sea in the near future, and they are parked on the west side of Changhang Island, and each battalion is ready for armor.

(End of this chapter)