Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 744 Happy to be a father

The staff officer continued, "To ensure the plan goes perfectly, we suggest that the intelligence department maintain close contact with the brothers lurking in Li Zicheng's army. Our main force must 'just' follow behind Li Zicheng, not too closely, nor too far ahead of them. Although Staff Officer Liu Heizi can also relay messages, he is, after all, in the open, with many eyes watching him, which is not always convenient."

Liu Ye asked, "Where is Li Zicheng currently located? Can his route be determined?"

The staff officer hung up a simple map and explained, "This is a map of Beizhili (northern Hebei) made under the guidance of Dean Liang. According to the news sent back by our brothers there, Li Zicheng's army should be in the Puyang area, within the territory of Daming Prefecture—however, this news is from a month ago, and we don't know where they've advanced to now. We must combine it with the court's official gazette to determine it—as for his route of advance, based on intelligence and our deductions, he should pass through Zhengding Prefecture, go through Julu and Jizhou, then enter Hejian Prefecture, pass through Nanpi and Cangzhou, avoid Baoding Prefecture and Tianjinwei, and go straight to Shuntian Prefecture. After all, there are quite a few garrisons west of Zhengding Prefecture and in Baoding Prefecture and Tianjinwei, such as Shenwu Right Guard, Datong Zhongtun Guard, and camp troops. Although the officers and soldiers are not strong, and the garrisons are even more corrupt, there's still some nail in a broken boat. Under Liu Heizi's 'suggestion,' Li Zicheng will choose to avoid attrition with the officers and soldiers along the way and go straight to the heart of the enemy."

"So how should we choose our route to maintain a 'tacit understanding' of not making contact with Li Zicheng?" Liu Ye asked, staring at the map.

“It’s very simple. We just need to follow the route we took last time to intercept Abatai, and go along the coastline. We just need to slow down in Cangzhou and let them go first.”

Liu Ye nodded, quite satisfied with the staff's arrangements, and said, "You've put in a lot of effort, thank you for your hard work. Mr. Yan, this plan is good; it takes the major aspects into account. We can adapt to the situation and make minor adjustments as needed."

Yan Guang replied respectfully, "This is what I should do."

Liu Ye turned to Shi Ying and the others and asked, "How is the army reorganization going?"

Shi Ying answered first: "The expansion of the First Regiment into the First Army is progressing smoothly. As you instructed, there are a total of three infantry regiments. Only the battalion-level artillery companies are retained, and the regimental-level artillery battalions have been abolished. The marching and command of the troops are more flexible. However, there are many new recruits who need to be trained in actual combat."

Xu Yifan continued, "The Second Army, with the Second Regiment as its core and the Tainan Tun Ding as its main force, has already completed the training of two infantry regiments. The personnel for the remaining infantry regiment are ready, but it will not be officially formed until the end of this phase of officer training, the deployment of battalion and company-level officers, and the provision of sufficient firearms by the arsenal."

Su Hongtu said, "My situation is similar to General Xu's. We can only complete the expansion of all infantry regiments after the officers are in place."

Liu Ye nodded; this situation was expected. Shi Ying, having been stationed in Lingao, held a geographical advantage. Whether it was organizing local militia or training officers, they had a time advantage, making it natural for them to complete the expansion first. Xu Yifan and Su Hongtu, stationed in Tainan and Shandong, were a step behind in both weaponry and officer deployment, and needed more time.

Liu Ye said, “We have the advantage of sea transport, so we still have enough time. Unless Li Zicheng is a god descended from heaven, he can't possibly reach Shuntian Prefecture in a short time. However, you still need to hurry. The arsenal has been handed over to Sun Yuanhua. Craftsmen from Guangdong and Guangxi and Shandong have been arriving one after another, and materials such as coal and iron are readily available. Providing weapons is not difficult. You need to get things done ahead of time. Once the weapons are delivered and the officers are in place, immediately complete the expansion. As for the issue of new recruits, that's not a problem. Good soldiers are made through battle. After fighting a few battles with Li Zicheng, they will naturally be trained. Besides, with such rigorous training, professional officers, and weapons far superior to our opponents, do you think we would be outmatched by those hastily assembled rabble of bandits?”

Everyone laughed and said, "The general is right."

"By the way, how is the independent artillery regiment doing?" Liu Ye asked.

Yan Guang replied, "The merger of the artillery regiments is already complete. The existing artillery battalions have been replaced with new ones, only the organization and designations have been changed. The commanding officer is Zuo Wuwei, the former artillery battalion commander of the First Regiment, and the adjutant is Li Mo, the former artillery battalion commander of the Second Regiment. They are both experienced veterans."

“Zuo Wuwei?” Liu Ye immediately remembered. “I remember him. He was a surrendered soldier from Guangdong, right? He was originally the garrison commander of the artillery battalion under General He Rubin of Guangdong. He was quite a professional. This Li Mo…”

"He was the captain of the firearms battalion back then, and the deputy of the Left Guard."

Liu Ye laughed, "So it turns out we're old partners. After all these years, we've become partners again in our Qionghai Bureau. That's great, the two of us work together very well."

After everything was arranged, Liu Ye said solemnly, "Gentlemen, the Qionghai Army started from scratch, growing from a salt field guard to what it is today. It has fought its way through countless trials and tribulations, overcoming numerous obstacles to become the strongest army in the land. Now, we must take it a step further, venturing out of Qiongzhou Prefecture to contend with various forces across the land for control of the Central Plains. Whether we can seize power, utilize and defeat Li Zicheng, and control the capital in the shortest possible time will be our first step towards success. Do you have the confidence?"

Everyone straightened their backs, saluted, and answered loudly, "We have confidence!"

"Very good. I'll give you two weeks; the expansion of all units must be completed. We'll set off in two weeks!"

"I obey my orders!"

After everyone had left, Liu Ye slowly walked out of the council hall, only to find a maidservant pacing restlessly in the outer corridor.

Liu Ye was a little puzzled. The South Garden was very large, divided into an outer garden and an inner garden. The council hall was in the outer garden, and the women were in the inner garden. There was a wall separating the garden from the inner garden. Normally, the women, maids, and old women never crossed the line. Why was a maid running into the outer garden today?

He walked over, intending to ask, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that the maid was Cuiyu, Suwen's personal maid. Of the two maids originally assigned to Suwen, one was named Baozhu and the other Cuiyu. The former had married Gao Jie, while the latter had served Suwen until now and remained unmarried. His heart skipped a beat. Cuiyu had suddenly disregarded the rules and come here; could it be Suwen...?

Sure enough, Cuiyu saw him and ran over excitedly to report, "Master, Concubine Su is about to give birth!"

Liu Ye's head buzzed, and he was a little unsteady on his feet. He grabbed the pillar of the corridor and thought to himself: Am I going to be a father?