Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Gao Qing, this time, you will supervise the army on my behalf! You will be in charge of the troops!"

After making up his mind to attack Liangshan, Zhao Ji directly appointed Gao Qiu as the military supervisor.

"Wei Chen accepts the order."

Gao Qiu did not refuse this time because he knew that the Emperor was already very dissatisfied with Liangshan, so he could not refuse this time!

He represents the face of the government!

"Nine military governors, each leading 10,000 elite troops, will serve as generals for this operation!"

Zhao Ji continued to issue instructions.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has only five thousand men."

The others accepted the order, but Xu Jing had to step forward and explain his situation to Emperor Huizong.

You gave my men to Jing Zhong, and now Jing Zhong has wiped them all out. And you still want me to give up another 10,000 men?

"Hmm...that's true. It's all Jing Zhong's fault. He misled me, causing General Xu's troops to suffer unnecessary losses."

"In that case, General Xu, you can select five thousand men from the Imperial Guard to replenish your troops."

Emperor Huizong realized this too, "Oh right, Xu Jing only has five thousand men left."

But he would never admit that he was the one who wiped out the remaining 10,000 people; all the blame would fall on Jing Zhong!

Anyway, he's dead, good riddance! He deserved it!

This kind of person is a treacherous minister!

Zhao Ji cursed Jing Zhong in his heart, completely forgetting that just a few days ago, he had said that Jing Zhong was a good minister and a role model for everyone!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Xu Jingbai rescued 5,000 people, but he didn't say much; he simply accepted the imperial decree and expressed his gratitude.

"Qiu Yue, Zhou Ang!"

"The minister is here."

Zhao Ji then summoned Qiu Yue and Zhou Ang.

"You two are instructors in the Imperial Guards, highly skilled in martial arts, and have made great contributions. This campaign against Liangshan cannot be done without you. Qiu Yue is hereby appointed as the General Protector of the Emperor, and Zhou Ang as the General of Chariots and Cavalry. You will each select five thousand elite Imperial Guards, from the Dragon Might, Tiger Wing, Sun-Holding, Loyal and Righteous... you can choose from any unit under the Imperial Guards!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Qiu Yue and Zhou Ang were overjoyed, finally getting a general's title in addition to their instructor position!

"Your Majesty, although this way we will have an army of 100,000, Liangshanbo is surrounded by water on all sides. Without a navy, we simply cannot get up there."

At this moment, Gao Qiu spoke to Zhao Ji once again.

"What should I do?"

Zhao Ji frowned. Naval forces? Where were the Song Dynasty's naval forces again?

"Your humble servant requests that Liu Menglong, the naval commander of Jiankang Prefecture in Jinling, be transferred to jointly conquer Liangshan!"

Gao Qiu requested Zhao Ji to transfer personnel.

"Liu Menglong? Is he up to the task?"

Emperor Huizong of Song had no impression of Liu Menglong.

"Your Majesty, when Liu Menglong was born, his mother dreamed that a black dragon flew into her womb, and thus he was born. This man is exceptionally gifted. From a young age, he loved to make a living in the water. As he grew up, he became skilled in swimming and had meritorious service in suppressing water bandits in the Xichuan Gorge. Now he has been promoted to the rank of Commander-in-Chief, commanding 15,000 naval troops and 500 warships of various sizes, guarding the south of the Yangtze River."

Gao Qiu praised Liu Menglong to the skies in front of Emperor Huizong!

The reason is simple: Liu Menglong had recently made some connections and sent some small gifts to Gao Qiu. Gao Qiu was essentially doing someone a favor by accepting money from Liu Menglong.

"Since Minister Gao thinks this person is good, I have no objection. I will issue the transfer order now. Go and transfer this naval force immediately!"

After thinking it over, Zhao Ji concluded that the person Gao Qiu recommended must be quite good, so he approved it.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I have another request."

"The five hundred warships of the Jinling navy are insufficient for this attack on Liangshan Marsh. Your humble servant requests that your infantry captain, Niu Bangxi, be dispatched immediately to patrol the rivers and search all passing vessels, large and small!"

"At the same time, they also cut down trees near the rivers, urged the craftsmen in the riverside boatyards to build ships as soon as possible, or used government funds to buy civilian boats for use in this war!"

Gao Qiu, you say he was a complete incompetent fool, that's not right either. Look at what he said, it's not even a drop of water, and the logic is perfectly sound!

When there's a shortage of ships for war, we have to requisition ships from the people; to requisition ships from the people, we have to pay money; and once we pay money, it goes into my pocket, Gao Qiu's.

"Approved. You can make the specific decisions yourself, but remember, you must not harm the people!"

Zhao Ji thought about it and decided that although it sounded like a huge project, as long as it didn't harm the people, it was fine.

"Your Majesty, I would never dare to harm the people! Please rest assured!"

Gao Qiu immediately knelt down and made a promise to Zhao Ji, completely unaware of the nine military governors behind him, each of whom had a deep disdain in their eyes.

You, Gao Qiu, wouldn't harm anyone?

How is this possible!

"Please rise quickly, Minister Gao. With you here, I have no worries."

Emperor Huizong quickly told Gao Qiu to get up and ordered someone to bring him a brocade robe and golden armor, which he then bestowed upon Gao Qiu.

"Gao Qing, this brocade robe and golden armor are bestowed upon you for protection. This expedition is no small matter. Therefore, I will also give you 15,000 elite troops and assign Wang Wenbin, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards and the military commander of Zhengzhou, to be your bodyguard!"

It's clear that Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) genuinely liked Gao Qiu, and when he gave Gao Qiu troops, he really meant it.

He even specially appointed Wang Wenbin, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, as Gao Qiu's bodyguard, which was clearly a sign of favoritism.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, with this army of 130,000, the annihilation of Liangshan is just around the corner!"

Gao Qiu confidently assured Zhao Ji, "However, it will take time for the armies to assemble. We cannot rush it. Please grant me ten days to prepare."

"allow!"

For Emperor Huizong of Song, Gao Qiu was someone he could trust completely, so he was very lenient with him. If it were someone else, they would probably have to set off immediately within three days!

The nine military commanders exchanged glances, gaining a new understanding of Gao Qiu's importance in the emperor's eyes.

"General, would you like to come to my residence for a short visit, have a drink, and perhaps discuss the upcoming campaign?"

After leaving the imperial study, Gao Qiu said to Wang Huan triumphantly.

"No, Grand Commandant, military affairs are busy. We must return to our camps to prepare the weapons. We can drink here after we have successfully conquered Liangshan."

Wang Huan politely declined; the fact that he didn't directly confront Gao Qiu was already a great concession.

When Wang Huan was young, he wouldn't even give a second glance to someone like Gao Qiu.

Wang Huan led the way and left. The other military governors, who were also from outlaw backgrounds, naturally didn't give Gao Qiu a good look and followed him away, ignoring him completely.

Only Han Cunbao and Yang Wen, because of their slightly different statuses, made a point of bowing to Gao Qiu before leaving.

"Hmph, a bunch of old geezers, daring to ignore me? Do you really think I can't touch you?"

Gao Qiu was very displeased that Wang Huan and the others ignored him.

"Your Excellency, may we, your humble servants, visit your residence for a moment?"

Qiu Yue and Zhou Ang exchanged a glance, then stepped forward and addressed Gao Qiu.

They weren't just ten commanders; although they were the chief instructor and deputy chief instructor of the Imperial Guards, they had only recently been promoted to the rank of general.

It was obvious to them that Gao Qiu was the emperor's most trusted man, and if they wanted to advance further, it was crucial to cultivate a good relationship with Gao Qiu!

"Very well, you two generals are reasonable, please come in!"

"I dare not accept such praise, Grand Commandant, please go first!"