Southern Ming Rebel Army

In Jiangning, in the Governor's Mansion, there was an apricot tree planted in the hall. Perhaps it was not planted for a long time, the tree was not tall, and the branches were a little thin, and it seemed a little malnourished. Hong Chengchou stood in the back hall with his hands behind his back, looking at the tree for a long time without saying a word. Seeing that it had been a long time, the old servant beside him could not help but said, "Master, do you want to have dinner?"

Hong Chengchou seemed not to hear it, and after a while he said, "Jin Min, you go down first."

The old servant looked up at Hong Chengchou and dared not say anything more. He bowed and retreated quickly. After the servant left, Hong Chengchou seemed to be talking to himself, "Everyone says that I, Hong Chengchou, betrayed my master for glory. Who knew that the Ming Dynasty was already in trouble and that great sages appeared frequently. This is the will of heaven. The Qing Dynasty entered the pass only a year ago and wiped out the bandits that the Ming court had been unable to suppress for decades. From Beijing to Nanjing, everything has been pacified. Peace in the world is just around the corner. Even if I, Hong Chengchou, am condemned by thousands of people, I will go forward despite tens of millions of people's opposition."

"Governor, General Bai Yongfu has just arrived in Jiangning and is now waiting outside the hall," a guard came in to report, interrupting Hong Chengchou's meditation.

"Let him come to the lobby."

"Yes, Governor," the guard bowed and turned to run out.

Outside the gate of the Governor-General of Jiangning, there was a long queue next to the gatekeeper. These people were all waiting for an audience with Hong Chengchou. At this time, the gatekeeper came out and shouted, "Where is General Bai?"

"Bai Yongfu is here," a person at the back of the team raised his hand. Bai Yongfu was wearing casual clothes, but his strong and muscular image was self-evident. The muscles on his chest and his big belly made his clothes bulge out.

The two people in front of them whispered to one side after seeing this, "Who is this person? Why did the Governor-General receive him as soon as he arrived? It's such a great honor."

"I know him. I saw him when I went to Jiangbei to pay a visit to Marshal Liu. He seemed to be Marshal Liu's subordinate. His surname seemed to be Bai, and his name was something... Bai Yongfu, yes, that's the name." A person next to him thought hard for a while and said with certainty.

"Bai Yongfu, a warrior? The fight is about to start again. Where are we going to fight this time? Attack Zhejiang, Jiangyin or Suzhou?"

"How would I know? But it should be Suzhou. Look at the more than 100,000 troops gathered in Jiangyin by Marshal Bolo. Why would Bai Yongfu go there? Suzhou is not settled yet, so how could he go to fight the Ming army in Zhejiang? It must be Suzhou."

"Ah, it's such a mess, when will it end?"

In the lobby, Hong Chengchou was sitting upright on the armchair. As soon as Bai Yongfu entered the lobby, he saw Hong Chengchou sitting on the chair. Without saying a word, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times, then said, "I, Bai Yongfu, pay my respects to the Governor-General."

"Get up," Hong Chengchou said slowly, taking a sip of tea.

"Thank you, sir." Bai Yongfu stood up, with his hands vertical and his waist slightly bent, facing Hong Chengchou with a respectful look on his face.

"General Bai, how is the army prepared? Are the food, fodder and military equipment complete? How many soldiers can fight? Are there enough artillery and gunpowder?" Hong Chengchou did not intend to beat around the bush. After Bai Yongfu stood still, he asked like a machine gun.

Bai Yongfu already had a draft in mind and had prepared everything on his way to Jiangning.

"Your Excellency the Governor, our army has more than 65,000 soldiers, 23,000 combat soldiers, 35,000 auxiliary and baggage soldiers, 4,000 cavalry, 1,000 elite servants, 1,000 firearms soldiers, and ten general cannons. However, the soldiers' armor is incomplete, military funds are insufficient, the army's food and fodder can only last for less than two months, and there is a shortage of gunpowder and bullets." Bo Linfu replied to Hong Chengchou almost without stopping, and recited all the draft he had prepared on the way in one breath.

After listening to this, Hong Chengchou did not speak immediately. He paused for a while before slowly saying, "Is this a lie?" After saying this, he looked steadily at Bai Yongfu.

Bai Yongfu was a general under Liu Zeqing. Hong Chengchou knew what kind of person Liu Zeqing was. Although Liu Zeqing's troops were not incapable of fighting and their combat effectiveness was quite mediocre, at least they could be used in the Jiangnan region, but Bai Yongfu's nonsense was definitely exaggerated.

"This... Governor, I dare not lie to you." Bai Yongfu's face looked a little unnatural, and his voice unconsciously lowered when he answered.

"Haha, General Bai, don't worry. There are enough food and grass in Jiangning, and some armor can be transferred. Military expenses and gunpowder are not a problem. This governor just wants to hear one thing from General Bai. How long will it take you to defeat the thieves in Suzhou? Don't rush to answer. This is the intelligence the spies have obtained from Suzhou. It won't be too late for you to take a look at it first." Hong Chengchou chuckled, pulled out a piece of paper from the book on the table, held it between two fingers and handed it forward.

Seeing this, Bai Yongfu hurriedly took a few steps forward, lowered his head and took the paper with both hands. Bai Yongfu took a few steps back and returned to his previous position before looking at the note.

After reading a few lines, Bai Yongfu's face became a little solemn, but after a while he seemed to relax. After reading it, Bai Yongfu respectfully handed the note over and placed it on the desk in front of Hong Chengchou, and then he said

"Sir, according to the intelligence, there are many soldiers in Suzhou City, but few of them are in armor, and the army is also weak. Li Chengdong was not defeated head-on, but raided the camp at night, causing the soldiers to howl and the entire army to flee." After saying this, Bai Yongfu saw that Hong Chengchou did not refute or speak, so he paused and said

"Governor, as long as Jiangning supplies food, military funds, and gunpowder, I can guarantee the capture of Suzhou City," Bai Yongfu vowed.

"General Bai, you have great confidence. Jiangning will make up for the lack of food and military funds in the army. I will also transfer Jiangning Jiala Ezhen Funi to lead 1,500 elite soldiers of the Eight Banners and 3,000 soldiers of the Green Camp, all of whom are good at fighting. General Bai, how long do you plan to let me hear the victory news of the capture of Suzhou City?"

Bai Yongfu said hesitantly, "Sir, our army has not yet completed its assembly, and the entire army has not yet crossed the river. I estimate that we can capture Suzhou City in two months."

Hong Chengchou stroked his beard and said, "It will take the army half a month to reach Suzhou. Can't we take down Suzhou, which is occupied by a group of local people, in 15 days?"

Bai Yongfu bit his lip and spoke after a while, "I obey your order and conquer Suzhou City in January."

"There is no joking in the army. If we fail in one month, we will be subject to military law. General Bai's new dynasty is no longer comparable to the previous Ming Dynasty." Hong Chengchou stood up and said in a deep voice to Bai Yongfu.

"I will obey your order. If I fail to conquer Suzhou within one month, I will bring my head to see the Governor," Bai Yongfu said in a sonorous and powerful voice, as if he had made up his mind.

"Good, I will wait for the news of victory from the general. Jiangning will provide the logistical supplies for the army with all its strength, and the front line will not be short of food. The general can return to the camp and reorganize the army as soon as possible. The armor and gunpowder will be ready within three days and will be delivered to the army by then."

"I respect your order and will take my leave."

After Bai Yongfu finished speaking, he bowed and left the hall and walked out of the Governor's Mansion. Bai Yongfu let out a long sigh, glanced at the Jiangnan gentry who were still queuing outside, glanced at them with disdain, rode his horse back to the army without looking back.