Chapter 1573 Leaving, Brothers, Recruiting Soldiers

"Prime Minister, what does Yang Gu mean today?"

Su Mingzhe followed Shi Songzhi to the Council of State.

This is where the prime minister, chancellors, and university scholars work.

Seeing that Su Mingzhe was still full of anger, Shi Songzhi was afraid that this general he had just recruited would become alienated from him, so he tried to comfort him again and said that after Su Mingzhe sent out troops, he would fully support him, giving him money and food, and would never let Su Mingzhe fight alone.

After getting the guarantee, Su Mingzhe left indignantly.

At this point.

Shi Songzhi was also very angry, and he immediately asked someone to prepare a sedan chair. He wanted to go to the Yang family to ask whether what Yang Gu did today was his own behavior or represented the attitude of the Yang family.

……

After returning to the mansion, Su Mingzhe didn't dare to reveal his feelings.

He waited until night, when he was the only one in the bedroom with the two women, before he explained the situation and said:

"Long'er, Ping'er, pack your luggage in the next two days. We will leave here in three days!"

"By the way, Ping'er, tell Junior Sister that we have to send her back to Peach Blossom Island on our way!"

Guo Fu had lived with Su Mingzhe for several months, and Guo Jing and Huang Rong had known about it for a long time.

However, neither of them came to look for him, which also showed their trust in the character of Su Mingzhe as their disciple.

Now that Su Mingzhe is going to Jingdong, it would be inconvenient for him to take Guo Fu with him.

After hearing the instructions, Xiaolongnu and Wanyan Ping started to get busy.

Su Mingzhe turned around and went to Tang Anan to say goodbye.

After this departure, I don’t know if Tang Anan will dare to recognize me when we meet again.

However, the son in her belly was her own child. Even if she entered the palace and became an imperial concubine in the future, she would not be able to stop herself from seeing her son.

……

Three days later.

After Su Mingzhe got the seals and other items from the two routes of Jingdong, he said goodbye to Shi Songzhi and took Xiaolongnu, Wanyan Ping and Guo Fu on a boat to Peach Blossom Island.

Arrived at Peach Blossom Island.

Huang Rong was naturally indescribably happy to see her eldest daughter return.

Guo Jing, who was still angry about his daughter running away from home, was overjoyed when he heard that his disciples were going to Jingdong and Jinglu. He thought that the Southern Song Dynasty was going to the North.
"Mingzhe, are you sure you can get to Huanglong?"

Seeing Guo Jing so happy, Su Mingzhe, although he didn't want to pour cold water on him, had to remind him:
"Master, the court appointed me as a 'recruiting envoy', not a marshal of the Northern Expedition. If everything goes well in Jingdong and Jingdong, the court will definitely send someone to pick peaches!"

Guo Jing's happy expression froze for a moment before he taught his disciple:
"Mingzhe, although the court is full of corrupt officials, your guess is likely to happen, but you can't ignore the people of the world just because you are afraid that your credit will be taken away. Do you understand?"

"Master taught me that this is what I think. I came back to visit you and Master's wife this time. One reason is to send my junior sister back. Another reason is to ask Master for permission to let my three junior brothers follow me north!"

Brothers fighting tigers, father and son go into battle.

Last time in Xiangyang, Yang Guo, Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen assisted Su Mingzhe and showed good abilities.

This time, when Su Mingzhe went north, he naturally had to keep the three people with him.

Naturally, Guo Jing would not refuse this request from his eldest disciple.

Stayed on Taohua Island for one night.

the next day.

Su Mingzhe originally planned to take Xiaolongnu and Wanyan Ping with him, but was persuaded to stay by Huang Rong.

Now that Xiaolongnu's belly is starting to show, it would be dangerous if she followed Su Mingzhe all the way north.

After discussion, Xiaolongnu agreed to stay on Peach Blossom Island to take care of her fetus for the sake of her unborn baby.

Su Mingzhe took his three fellow apprentices and sailed north.

……

three days later.

The boat docked in Taizhou.

Taizhou has been a horse farm in Jiangnan since the Three Kingdoms period, and the price of horses here is relatively cheap.

Of course, Su Mingzhe showed his identity and got several tall horses easily without spending any money. This time Su Mingzhe went to Jingdong and the court allowed him to recruit 100,000 soldiers in Lianghuai.

And he guaranteed that as long as Su Mingzhe found enough people, the court would provide corresponding supplies and salaries.

Huaixi and Huaidong are currently the territorial boundaries between the Tatars and the Southern Song Dynasty.

Due to years of war, these two routes suffered serious population loss.

The historical records state: "Nine out of ten households have left their original occupations, and their uncultivated fields are thousands of miles away. It is not possible for the displaced people to return home overnight!"

The court allowing Su Mingzhe to recruit 100,000 people in a place like this is no different from nonsense.

There simply weren't that many able-bodied men in Lianghuai for Su Mingzhe to recruit.

For example, Taizhou was originally a prefecture in Huaidong Road. During the Northern Song Dynasty, it had a population of over 100,000 households, but now there are only more than 30,000 households left.

The garrison general of Taizhou was afraid that Su Mingzhe would recruit him, so he gave Su Mingzhe money and food whenever he asked for them, and did not dare to treat him poorly in the slightest.

Su Mingzhe did not make things difficult for the garrison general.

The next day we left Taizhou and arrived in Yangzhou.

Although Yangzhou was the headquarters of the commander and military supervisor of Huaidong Road, and a metropolis with a population of over one million during the Northern Song Dynasty, it now has only about 100,000 to 200,000 people.

If Su Mingzhe had not appeared, a few decades later, the Southern Song Dynasty would have collapsed, and there would have been only five or six thousand people left in the entire Yangzhou.

……

When Li Zengbo, the governor of Huaidong Road, learned that Su Mingzhe had arrived, he hurriedly led the military, political, financial and supervisory teams out of the city to welcome him.

Li Zengbo is also Shi Songzhi's man, and is in the same party as Su Mingzhe.

At the welcoming banquet, everyone had a great time chatting with each other.

On the second day.

Su Mingzhe then took out the imperial edict, stating that the court wanted to recruit 100,000 people locally, which immediately frightened Li Zengbo:
"Sir, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

"Why not?"

Su Mingzhe asked the question even though he knew the answer, looking puzzled.

Li Zengbo smiled bitterly and said:

"You don't know, sir. Last year, the Tartars marched south and killed more than half of the people in Huaidong Road. Only 300,000 households were left, and there were only 100,000 young and strong laborers. There were not enough for you to recruit!"

Seeing Li Zengbo complaining, Su Mingzhe could only say helplessly:

"I naturally understand what Lord Li said, but as far as I know, when the Tartars marched south last year, although more than half of the troops in Huaidong Road were lost, at least half of them were still safe and sound. However, all the prefectures and counties in Huaixi Road were completely destroyed, and only one in ten survived. If I don't recruit soldiers in Huaidong Road, I will have to go to Haixi Road to recruit. That's like a good cook without rice!"

Li Zengbo naturally understood what Su Mingzhe said.

However, he also knew that if he really let Su Mingzhe recruit 100,000 soldiers locally, Huaidong Road would definitely be destroyed!
Just as the two were at a stalemate, the deputy general manager Zhou Dai suddenly spoke up and suggested to Su Mingzhe:

"Sir, the local people are really unable to apply for the army. However, there are still refugees who have fled from the north to the south. If you don't mind, we can help recruit them!"

When Su Mingzhe heard this proposal, he glanced at Zhou Dai, then at Li Zengbo's distressed face. He was silent for a moment before nodding and agreeing:
"Since the road to Huaidong is difficult, this is the only way!"

"However, we will have to trouble Huaidong Road to prepare all the military rations and supplies for this 100,000-man army..."

Although Shi Songzhi had promised Su Mingzhe that as long as he could find the person, he would never delay the payment of wages and food.

However, if we really wait for Su Mingzhe to recruit all the people and then ask the court for food and money, it will definitely take a lot of time.

It would be better to let Huaidong Road pay for it first, and then return it to Huaidong Road after the court allocates food and salaries.

"Of course!"

Hearing that Su Mingzhe was willing to recruit refugees, Li Zengbo, Zhou Dai and others felt relieved.

How dare I argue with Su Mingzhe about money and food?

After sending Su Mingzhe away, Li Zengbo was about to order people to recruit refugees, but was stopped by Zhou Dai and others:
"Sir, how should we deal with this money and grain?"

Since last year, the Tartars have been invading southwards continuously, and the two Huai regions have become the Tartars' main looting areas.

The worst-hit county in Huaixi, where the losses were heaviest, may have less than a thousand households.

The situation here in Huaidong is actually quite miserable.

At this time, everyone is short of food and clothing. If we ask everyone to collect food and wages for another 100,000 people, I'm afraid there will be starvation everywhere next year.