GBP Chapter 558 The Whole Army Sets Off
Chapter 558 The Whole Army Sets Off
At Liu Ye's command, the Qionghai Navy's war machine immediately sprang into action.
Compared to the cumbersome procedures and low efficiency of the imperial army's deployment, the Qionghai Navy, which had initially established a modern military command and support system, was far more efficient in mobilizing its troops.
The General Staff issued the order to the entire army in the general's name, and the order was then passed down through the ranks to the battalion, platoon, company, and squad. After dinner, everyone knew they would be setting off the next day. From officers to soldiers, all they needed to do was prepare themselves mentally for the march. How to fight and how to deploy troops were the staff officers' business. There was no mobilization allowance, no need for resettlement allowance, and no need for them to protest for pay to solve their worries. The pay of ordinary privates in the Qionghai Navy was higher than that of the border troops, not to mention that of non-commissioned officers and officers. If they were wounded or killed in battle, they would receive generous compensation, and their families would be given priority for employment in factories, mines, and shops. They would have no worries about food and clothing. What the government officials and soldiers had to worry about was simply not a problem for the Qionghai Navy.
As for the most crucial factor influencing troop deployment—logistics, with provisions at its core—this was hardly a problem. With the implementation of the policy of having the three counties pay taxes on behalf of the people and "purchasing" fertile land, the landlord class in northern Qiongzhou was largely dismantled. Furthermore, the military-run farms were beginning to yield harvests, ensuring that the majority of the grain produced in Qiongzhou was firmly in the hands of the Qionghai Navy, which could readily allocate sufficient supplies to the army. In addition, in this timeline, the Qionghai Navy possessed the largest military transport fleet in East Asia, and perhaps even the world, its powerful maritime capabilities solving the ancient army's most pressing problem: grain transportation. Ammunition and equipment were naturally handled and allocated by the Quartermaster Bureau, with everything arranged perfectly, requiring no concern from the combat troops.
With the guarantee of advanced systems and technology, and the Qionghai Navy's extensive experience in naval operations, they were adept at many things. Therefore, two fully equipped regiments, plus support personnel, totaling over ten thousand men and several hundred light and heavy artillery pieces, were mobilized and assembled within just 24 hours of receiving the order, precisely at noon as Liu Ye had set. For the imperial court, mobilizing an army of this size would have taken a month. When He Rubin led 20,000 troops across the sea to attack Lingao, raising funds for their departure, settling-in expenses, and provisions, assembling at the Humen camp, and then holding flag-raising ceremonies and cannon tests, it took more than a month to reach Qiongzhou. Even this speed was praised as miraculous by Wang Zunde, the then Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.
The next day at noon, the army boarded the ships in an orderly manner according to their unit numbers, while the weapons, supplies, ammunition, and provisions were loaded onto the ships on the other side of the dock.
Liu Ye stood on the dock beside the "Guangdong" ship, preparing to board. Lin Shiyue, along with a group of wives and concubines, came to see him off. She stared at Liu Ye with clear eyes and said, "My lord is about to go to war. I will not dwell on our personal feelings. I will present you with an ancient poem: 'With lofty ambitions, I will feast on the flesh of the barbarians when hungry, and drink the blood of the Huns when thirsty.' I hope my lord will kill many Tartars and save the people from suffering. You need not worry about family matters; I will take care of you."
This line comes from Yue Fei's poem "Man Jiang Hong," written during his northern expedition against the Jin army, reflecting his desire to recover lost territory and restore the country, as well as his loyalty to the nation. The terms "Hu Lu" and "Xiongnu" refer to foreign tribes that wreaked havoc on the Central Plains, making this a very apt metaphor for the Jianzhou Tartars, the targets of this expedition.
Liu Ye was somewhat moved. Such a beautiful, intelligent, and well-educated woman was rare, let alone the pampered young ladies of ancient times who never left their homes. Even among modern women with higher education, few possessed such breadth of vision and understanding. No wonder people always say that marriage should be between equals; only when education, perspective, and thought are on the same level can one have common ground.
He smiled slightly and took Lin Shiyue's hand. "It is my blessing to marry such a virtuous woman as my wife. I will also return the favor with a poem: 'If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, the barbarian horses would not dare to cross Yinshan.'"
This line of poetry comes from "Leaving the Village" by Wang Changling, a Tang Dynasty border poet. The gist of it is that as long as famous generals of the Han Dynasty like Li Guang and Wei Qing are present, the Xiongnu will never be able to cross the Yin Mountains to graze their horses in the south. Liu Ye borrowed this line of poetry to express his courage and confidence in resisting the Tartars.
The couple smiled at each other, their feelings understood without words.
Not only Lin Shiyue came to the dock to see them off, but the families of other officers also came. Perhaps it was the largest troop movement in the history of the Qionghai Army that alarmed everyone, or perhaps it was because the enemy they were going to fight was the infamous Tartars, far more ruthless than their previous opponents, that created a sense of crisis far greater than the previous expeditions, and many people came to see them off.
Shi Ying and Su Xiaomei bid each other a reluctant farewell. Shi Ying promised, "Xiaomei, don't worry, when I return from this campaign, I will marry you." Su Xiaomei nodded happily, "I'll wait for you at home. When you get to Shandong and see my elder brother, tell him that his sister is getting married!"
The thought of his former subordinate becoming his brother-in-law made the intern feel a little awkward, and he said embarrassedly, "Okay, I'll talk to him."
On the other side, Lin San and Yang Liushi were also saying goodbye.
Yang Liushi is the wife of Li Er, a deserter who was executed by Lin San in the past. She was the widow who once made Liu Ye very angry. The two finally got together and usually kept a low profile.
This was the first time Yang Liu had publicly seen Lin San off, a gesture that had taken immense courage. Lin San, usually taciturn and aloof, presented a completely different face in front of Yang Liu. He affectionately stroked his wife's head and said, "I'm going to war with the general. This battle against the Tartars might be more difficult than before, and I might not be back for a while. The family will depend on you." Originally, Lin San only had a frail and sickly father, but after being with Yang Liu, he brought her former mother-in-law and son into their home to care for them. Later, they had a son who was almost three years old; before they knew it, they had become a large family.
Yang Liu replied firmly, "Don't worry about the family. Follow the general into battle, kill more Tartars, and don't bring shame to our family." Her ex-husband Li Er's desertion in the face of battle became an indelible stain on her life and a shadow she could never forget.
Lin San laughed, "Your man isn't that kind of person. You shouldn't have to bear the blame for the sins Li Er committed. Leave your worries to me. I will personally cut off a few Tartar heads so you can hold your head high and tell everyone that my man is a hero, not a coward."
Yang Liu's eyes welled up with tears, and she buried her head in Lin San's chest. Although this man was a few years younger than her, he was responsible. God had wasted and squandered more than ten years of her life, and now he had made up for it all at once.
Once the entire army had boarded the ships, a cannon fired, and the massive fleet set sail, marking the start of the expedition by the entire Qionghai Navy from Bofu Port.