Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 366 First Meeting with Wu Sangui

Liu Ye replied, "So it's General Wu, known for his bravery in the army and filial piety on the border. Please feel free to ask me anything." Although Wu Sangui was a notorious traitor in the original timeline, he was just a young general in his early twenties at this moment. Liu Ye was not a mindless hothead, so he was able to face him calmly.

Upon hearing his words, Wu Sangui's face revealed a smug expression. This was the proudest moment of his life: in the third year of Chongzhen's reign, he led dozens of his household servants into the encirclement of more than ten thousand Tartars and rescued his father, Wu Xiang. With this almost legendary battle, he laid the foundation for his military career and earned the reputation of "the bravest in the army and the most filial in the border regions." This even alarmed the current emperor, who promoted him to the rank of guerrilla general.

He immediately had a good impression of Liu Ye and said modestly, "You flatter me. General Liu, why are all your men arquebusiers? We also have arquebusiers in Liaodong, but arquebusiers cannot form an army on their own. They must be paired with swordsmen or spearmen, otherwise, once the enemy gets close, it will be a one-sided defeat."

Liu Ye wasn't surprised by Wu Sangui's doubts. People unfamiliar with flintlock muskets tend to interpret their capabilities in terms of matchlock muskets, failing to grasp the significance of high accuracy for a firearms-equipped force. Since the establishment of the Qiongzhou camp, many had suffered losses against Patriot rifles. He had no intention of concealing his strength; why not reveal everything to the enemy? His allies would naturally see through it during battle. The Qiongzhou camp couldn't remain hidden on the island forever; stepping onto the Central Plains stage was inevitable. Showing their strength and gaining the attention of the court and even Emperor Chongzhen would create better opportunities to expand their influence and power. Wu Sangui and his Guan Ning army were a prime example.

Since the rise of the Later Jin, the Ming army suffered repeated defeats in its wars against them, with the saying "Ten thousand Jurchens are invincible" even circulating. Often, a few hundred Later Jin soldiers could rout a Ming army of tens of thousands. The Guan Ning Army, the only Ming force to achieve a balanced victory against the Later Jin in open battle, naturally gained the favor of Emperor Chongzhen, who regarded them as the pillars of the nation in resisting the Tartars. All the Liaodong military revenue collected nationwide was allocated to Liaodong. Coupled with the fertile farmland in Liaodong, the Guan Ning Army gradually transformed into a powerful warlord force that relied on the natural defenses of Shanhaiguan. They never proactively attacked the Later Jin, focusing instead on profiting from the national crisis. Generals like Zu Dashou in Liaodong amassed enormous wealth.

Liu Ye smiled and said, "My muskets are homemade and quite different from those of the imperial court. In the time it takes for an ordinary musket to fire one shot, I can fire three. Unless we encounter elite cavalry, it's difficult for ordinary infantry to get close. Plus, the musket tip is equipped with a sharp blade, so it can be used as a spear when the enemy gets close. It can be used for both ranged attacks and melee combat, so why do we still need axemen and spearmen?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent, including Wu Sangui, gasped in astonishment. Capable of both ranged and melee combat, with a firing rate three times faster than before, these arquebusiers completely overturned everyone's understanding and were enough to change the existing combat model.

Wu Sangui's eyes lit up. If such a weapon existed, why would the Guan Ning Army cling so desperately to the three-barreled musket? Because the arquebus was unreliable, slow-firing, and unsuitable for horseback use, the Guan Ning Army, primarily composed of cavalry, abandoned the arquebuses provided by the imperial court and switched to the three-barreled musket. The three-barreled musket had the advantages of being shorter than the arquebus, making it usable by cavalry, and possessing considerable lethality within twenty or thirty paces. Crucially, it could fire in rapid succession; after three shots, it could be used as a hammer in close combat. From the Tianqi era onwards, the three-barreled musket became standard issue in the various garrisons of Liaodong.

However, the three-barreled musket also had very obvious drawbacks: firstly, its range was too short; beyond fifty paces, it was practically useless, offering no advantage against musketeers at long range; secondly, its close-combat effectiveness was lackluster, as the hammer was also ineffective against spearmen. In Wu Sangui's view, if Liu Ye hadn't been boasting and had actually managed to acquire such a weapon, the Guan Ning Army would have been even stronger, firmly securing its position as the strongest army in the Ming Dynasty.

However, this was not the right occasion to discuss such matters. Wu Sangui looked back at his second uncle, Zu Dabi, and thought to himself: I'll have a good talk with my second uncle later and persuade him to buy muskets from this Guangdong military officer. Anyway, the Guan Ning Army is not short of money.

Liu Zeqing and the others clearly did not believe Liu Ye's words, but after being humiliated by the phrase "killing Shandong soldiers is like cutting vegetables," they dared not provoke him again, lest they be humiliated by similar words. They simply stared at Liu Ye with suspicion and disdain.

Zhu Dadian was also skeptical of Liu Ye's words, but for him, whether it was an exaggeration or not had no real impact. If this guest army was truly a strong force, it would always be a good thing to add more assistance in suppressing the rebellion; if it was just boasting, it wouldn't affect the overall situation. This guest army was not originally part of the plan, and it was only a matter of time before the existing forces were able to quell the rebellion.

He coughed a few times and said to Liu Ye, "General Liu has trained such a strong army and is wholeheartedly devoted to serving the court. He should be a model for military men. I also look forward to your troops making meritorious contributions when they fight against the rebels and helping to quell the rebellion. Your troops have come from afar today and must be tired and exhausted. Let Xiang San arrange for them to set up camp. The provisions will be allocated later."

Liu Ye bowed to Zhu Dadian and said, "Thank you, Governor. This humble general will take his leave now." Under the watchful eyes of the military officers from Liaodong and Shandong, he withdrew from the main tent.

An official in a green robe stepped forward and walked alongside him outside the main tent, introducing himself: "General Liu, my surname is Lin, my given name is Tianming, and I am the Imperial Inspector of Shandong. I am responsible for assisting the Governor in procuring provisions and coordinating the troops of various departments. I am in charge of matters concerning your department's garrison and provisions. If you have any questions, you can come directly to me."

It really was Lin Tianming's father! Liu Ye didn't dare to be negligent. He looked around to make sure no one else was present, and respectfully bowed to Lin Tianming: "This humble general has long admired Inspector Lin's name and has great respect for him. This time, we have sent troops to Dengzhou, and we hope that you will take good care of us for the sake of Governor Mu."

Lin Tianming was quite satisfied with his respectful attitude. Watching him mercilessly berate Liu Zeqing in the main tent was quite different from the description in his brother-in-law Mu Tianyan's letter. He had initially worried that Liu Ye was an arrogant and domineering martial artist, but now it seemed his worries were unnecessary. Knowing when to be firm and when to be gentle, Liu Ye, though young, was quite shrewd in his dealings with people and a promising talent.

He stroked his beard and asked with a smile, "How is Shiyue doing in Guangdong? She grew up in the north and has been staying at her uncle's house for a year. I wonder if she's getting used to the southern climate?"

Liu Ye smiled mysteriously: "Well, Lord Lin, you might as well ask Miss Lin herself directly..."

Lin Tianming paused, "What? Did she come to Shandong too?"