Previously, you could manage an island by yourself, but now you have to take orders from others. If you still want to be the island master, how many soldiers can you have under your command, and how many people can you control?
However, concentrating efforts and focusing on development is an unswerving strategy, and it will not change because of personal care.
Guo Dajing pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "Brother Shang's department has three thousand people, right?"
"One battalion has three thousand men, which is slightly less than the two associations." Shang Kexi answered truthfully.
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "I remember that when Brother Shang was on Guanglu Island, he did not have so many troops under his command, and his combat power was not as strong as it is now."
Shang Ke happily nodded and admitted, saying: "I just want to recruit more soldiers, but I don't have food or pay, so I can't afford them!"
Guo Dajing said: "Does Brother Shang think that the number of soldiers in an association or battalion is a fixed number?"
"That's definitely not the case!" Shang Kexi said: "For example, the left and right associations have more troops. I heard that the former and the rear will also expand next year."
"It's not that I heard it, but it's true." Guo Dajing counted on his fingers: "There have been more than 30,000 Liao people who have escaped from the Jianlu-controlled areas this year. Most of them are men, and there are several who can replenish the army.
thousand."
Shang Kexi blinked his eyes and heard something, and asked: "General Guo——"
"Don't call me by official title. This is not about the army, it's about fighting." Guo Dajing waved his hand and said: "Guo and Mao Shuai discussed the future establishment of Dongjiang Town and both believed that the Association should become a very independent combat unit.
Twelve to three thousand people are most suitable."
With the speed and level of communication in ancient times, there were many difficulties in large army operations. It was not easy to coordinate the organization.
Therefore, both Guo Dajing and Mao Wenlong believed that the establishment of the "Association" should not be too large, and more than 10,000 people should be the most suitable. Then if the number of people is expanded in the future, a new "Association" will be built.
"In the final analysis, it still relies on military exploits." After Guo Dajing explained, he said with a smile: "Of course, there are joint operations with several associations. Our generals in Dongjiang Town must always act according to orders, whether it is Mao Shuai or Chen
It is obviously not possible for the deputy commander or the imperial court to dwell on this."
Shang Ke was happy to understand, and felt relieved. He cupped his hands towards Guo Dajing and said, "Thank you, Brother Guo. If Shang can obey your orders, I won't care how small the official position is."
Is this a sign of loyalty? Guo Dajing wanted to keep this guy close to him, but he couldn't. At least, he couldn't poach him for the time being.
"Brother Shang's ability, Guo knows very well, and he doesn't dare to condescend to Brother Shang." Guo Dajing said with a smile: "If Guo has the opportunity to mobilize various ministries to assist in the war, then Brother Shang will be his first choice."
Shang Ke laughed happily, cupped his hands and said, "Brother Guo must remember Shang and don't give the opportunity to others."
"Opportunities are also dangers. Brother Shang doesn't mind it. Guo certainly wants it." Guo Dajing got vaccinated in advance and really thought about it.
Shang Kexi said sternly: "Shang just wants to make great achievements, and he will not hesitate to die on the battlefield for this purpose."
Guo Dajing nodded vigorously and agreed.
People have different thoughts and have different visions, so they will naturally be entangled. Just like Shang Kexi, he felt that it would be difficult to get ahead under Mao Chenglu.
Moreover, watching Guo Dajing rise step by step and become the number one person under Mao Wenlong and Chen Jisheng, even if he is jealous, he has to be convinced.
The reason Guo Dajing told him was also very simple. Stop staring at the four associations in front of you and do your best to help Dongjiang Town develop and grow.
According to the words of later generations, just make the cake bigger and don't focus on the big cake in front of you.
Get all the traitors in history under your control, monitor and guide them, and prevent them from taking the path of history.
Guo Dajing did have such an idea, and he also had some methods. For example, he proposed to Mao Wenlong to recruit generals with outstanding cavalry and shooting skills and expand the cavalry battalion.
But now, it is still too early. After this big battle is fought, Guo Dajing will have time to make plans.
The signs of Jianlu's attack are becoming more and more obvious. Tens of thousands of troops and a large number of offensive equipment have been transported to Haizhou, as well as a patchwork of grain and grass supplies.
However, due to the obstruction of the river, Jianlu had to wait a little longer, waiting for the river to freeze. And every additional day he waited, the strength of the Dongjiang Army increased by one point, and the balance of victory and defeat tilted more towards the Dongjiang Army.
As long as this battle is won, or even as long as the Jianlu attack is resisted, a major change will occur in the situation between the enemy and ourselves.
Lack of supplies was a difficult problem for Jianlu to solve. Due to this restriction, Jianlu could only launch large-scale campaigns twice a year at most.
There was no such battle in Jinzhou in history, but it is certain that there was famine among the captives in history. Because Guo Dajing might be able to move the direction of the wheel of history, but he could not make God change it.
Therefore, after the war, the grain and grass supplies consumed by the Jianqiu will speed up the arrival of the great famine and cause the Jianqiu to lose the material basis for mobilization.
If the imperial court could act according to its own strategy, stay calm and not give the Jianlu the opportunity to plunder, the Jianlu might collapse in the great famine, or be severely weakened.
But unfortunately, neither the imperial court nor Chongzhen could see this, would not believe Mao Wenlong, and would not use substantive actions to support Dongjiang Town.
The truth is simple and simple, that is, in the eyes of feudal emperors and pedantic civil servants, "loyalty" comes first, and other things can be put behind, including the destruction of the captives and Ping Liao.
What's more, the Jianlu rebelled against the Ming for so many years, the Ming army lost no less than hundreds of thousands, and Liaodong was basically occupied by the Jianlu, but the court and the emperor still did not regard the Jianlu as a life-or-death enemy.
Except for Guo Dajing, no one believed that a small army with a population of less than one million and less than 100,000 soldiers could sweep the world and take over the Ming Dynasty.
It was precisely based on this understanding that the imperial court and Chongzhen did not take Dongjiang Town seriously and did not believe that Dongjiang Town could take on the important task of destroying Pingliao.
To put it bluntly, in their eyes, Dongjiang Town is dispensable, and its role in Liaodong is just a containment.
Therefore, Chongzhen and the civilian clique suppressed unscrupulously and were not too worried about the soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town rebelling or surrendering to the enemy.
Just like the current situation, it is obvious that Jianlu will attack Jinzhou. However, the imperial court does not believe Mao Wenlong's report, and there is no material or financial support.
On the contrary, Governor Yuan was saying that Jianlu would attack western Liaoning because the newly recovered cities such as Jinzhou and Dalinghe posed a great threat to Jianlu.
In this way, there is nothing that should be aided and strengthened; the court can only shrink and defend the city and scaremonger people, but the court has spent a huge amount of money and materials.
The intelligence in Liao Town could not be so bad. Guo Dajing speculated maliciously that Governor Yuan did this deliberately and was suspected of killing someone with a borrowed knife.
Thinking that Governor Yuan will be generous in selling grain at Gaotaibao next year, the Mongols will only need some useless things like firewood in exchange for it.
But he was so harsh on his compatriots and Dongjiang Town. Thinking of the misery of Dongjiang Town where people died of hunger and death in history, Guo Dajing finally understood how cruel the literati could be.
Gu Yan
Unfortunately, with me here, all your plots and plots will come to nothing. But on the road to death, Governor Yuan will never look back, and no one can save him.
"Shang's family will also move here. Dalian is great, and we can be neighbors with Brother Guo." Shang Kexi approached, pulling Guo Dajing back from his thoughts.
Guo Dajing laughed and said: "Brother Shang moved to live with his family before the war was over, which is admirable!"
Shang Kexi looked at Guo Dajing and said, "Brother Guo's family members are always in Dalian, aren't they? You are confident, so why should I worry?"
"Mao Shuai's concubine is also in Dalian." Guo Dajing pondered for a moment and said: "In terms of conditions, Dalian is indeed better than Pidao. However, if Brother Shang is transferred back to Pidao again, I am afraid he will have to endure the pain of lovesickness.
.”
Shang Ke laughed happily and said: "Brother Guo is talking more and more like a scholar, which shows that he has been studying a lot!"
Guo Dajing smiled and waved his hands and said: "This is hurting me. What kind of literati? I don't think they are so shameless."
At this time, the food began to be served, and there were no exquisite dishes. Just meat and wine, and the dishes were large enough to satisfy these officers.
"Brother Mao and Brother Kong have spent a lot of money." Guo Dajing stood up with a smile, cupped his hands to Mao Chenglu and Kong Youde and said: "Next time, when someone becomes a landlord, he must do his best to be a landlord."
Mao Chenglu said nonchalantly: "You're too polite. In the eyes of Brother Guo, don't make fun of me for being stingy with that small amount of money."
Everyone knows that Guo Dajing is rich, but he is not extravagant. He basically eats the same meals as the soldiers and rarely cooks a small meal.
According to the current supply of materials in Jinzhou, and as a channel for collecting military tickets, as long as you are willing to spend money, you can eat not only delicacies, but also wine and meat.
But Guo Dajing thought it was not necessary. The food in the army was fine, but the salary of officers should be higher.
Although it is a big pot of rice, the color, flavor and taste are a bit different, but it is enough to have an improvement once in a while, and there is no need to eat a lot of fish and meat every day.
Mao Chenglu and Kong Youde each bought a sheep, and the cook grilled and boiled it. The method was relatively simple. It was made into a basin and topped with the aroma of wine.
"Come, come, let's all have a drink!" Guo Dajing greeted everyone loudly, "Brother Mao, the sheep bought by Brother Kong smells delicious!"
"General Guo has a good cook here." Mao Chenglu swallowed a piece of barbecue and praised with a smile: "I have heard about it a long time ago, and I tasted it today. It is well-deserved."
Guo Dajing was also very generous and said: "Brother Mao, if you like the taste, ask the cook to stay with you for a few days. It's very simple and you can learn it in one go."
Not only can you learn it once you learn it, you can learn it just by seeing it. As long as you know the seasonings and the heat, you can slowly master it yourself.
Everyone ate, drank and tasted it, and they all praised it for its good taste and some praise for Guo Dajing, but it was not entirely false.
Unknowingly, Guo Dajing, the youngest general in Dongjiang Town, has become the central figure among the generals.
No matter what the considerations were, everyone was convinced that Guo Dajing was capable. They would never be able to learn this skill.
Moreover, Guo Dajing's easygoingness is not an act, it is innate, and is the thinking and behavior brought from later generations. This makes people feel even more comfortable, like a spring breeze.
………………
The wind blew snowflakes, which kept hitting my body and face, but my stomach was still burning. That was the effect of the chili pepper and potato wine I had just eaten and drank.
The snow was already about an inch thick and crunched underfoot. Yang Daman and his comrades returned to the military camp laughing and talking.
"This snow will last until tomorrow." A comrade looked up at the sky. There were only snowflakes all over the sky and nothing could be seen.
Another comrade echoed: "The snow must be cleared tomorrow, so as not to collapse the roof."
Yang Daman's heart suddenly trembled, and he subconsciously looked up at the houses in the military camp, thinking of his relatives, the simple houses, and the poor family.
As a coated slave, after the Battle of Port Arthur, he could not bear to die in vain and escaped.
After experiencing the construction of the Nanguan Defense Line, becoming a soldier, having plenty of food and drink, intense training, and seizing military fields, Yang Daman hid his memories very deeply and suppressed them very tightly.
But in the wind and snow, a casual word from his comrade suddenly aroused his sadness.
Will the house at home be collapsed by the snow? Will their loved ones have food to eat? They must think they are dead, will they still be sad?
His steps suddenly became a little heavy, and Yang Da's mind was full of random thoughts. His comrades were still talking, but he didn't listen to a word.
He entered the military camp somewhat mechanically and arrived at his residence. His comrades were beating the snow on their bodies outside the door, which made Yang Daman wake up a little.
When you walk into the house, although the temperature is not very high, you feel warm when you first come in from the outside.
There are two rows of earthen kangs covered with mats, and twenty people can sleep in each room. Guns are neatly placed on the shelves beside the wall.
Although it was not very late yet, there were already soldiers wrapped in quilts and sleeping on the kang.
Today is a day off, so you can move around freely. Some go for a drink, some just rest in the house, some go out for a stroll, and so on.
Yang Daman spread the bedding hastily and lay down. But this did not make his heart peaceful. The faces of his relatives flashed in his mind one by one, and more worries emerged.
"After this heavy snowfall, the river will not be frozen." Some comrades were chatting. It was no secret to them that the war was about to break out.
Another comrade was rolling a cartridge. The mold was a small wooden stick with the same caliber as the musket. Because of the need to prevent fire and explosions, gunpowder was not allowed in this dormitory with an open flame stove.
"It will be colder this year. The rivers will be frozen for a few months at most." He put the rolled medicine tube away, took another one and continued to roll it, and said: "It's best to wait until after the New Year. Let me
Have a nice meal of pork dumplings.”
Someone chuckled and said, "It's not easy to eat dumplings. Just take the money and go to the tavern to buy them!"
The troops raised pigs, and after the cold weather, they purchased a lot of pork from Shandong. Supply and marketing stations, shops, and taverns were all run by government officials, and they could make a small profit by returning military receipts.
"That's different." The comrade shook his head like a rattle and said, "I eat meat on a daily basis, but it's two different things from celebrating the New Year."
It’s Chinese New Year! Yang Daman sighed silently, knowing that even if his relatives were alive, there would be no way they could eat dumplings, let alone pork stuffing.