Chapter 1107: Fighting openly and secretly!

When the soldiers of the 15th Division finished their morning exercises and returned to the barracks for lunch, Guo Zhiping called Zhang Hui and Ye Dayong to the operations room on the parade ground.

Seeing the two people in good spirits, Guo Zhiping asked directly:

"What is the current situation of your 15th Division?"

Deputy General Ye Dayong wanted to speak directly, but when he saw Zhang Hui on the side was still organizing his words, he hesitated for a moment and finally closed his mouth to avoid stealing the show.

After thinking for about two seconds, Zhang Hui looked at Guo Zhiping and said:

"At present, the overall situation of our unit is relatively stable, but the soldiers still need to get used to each other. However, I think the situation is still under control!"

Hearing what Zhang Hui said, Guo Zhiping nodded slightly and looked at Ye Dayong beside him. Feeling Guo Zhiping's gaze, Ye Dayong also hesitated.

Because the Fengwu Army and the Imperial Army had fought many fierce battles in the past period of time, and both sides had accumulated a lot of hatred, so now that everyone suddenly gathered together, some conflicts were bound to arise!
As the victorious party, the Fengwu Army soldiers also had some sense of superiority, so in the past half month, there have been many fights within the 15th Division.

However, there were some disagreements between Deputy General Ye Dayong, Zhang Hui and Cai Yaozu on how to deal with these fights. From the surname, it can be seen that Ye Dayong is a member of the Ye clan, and he is also the first group of Ye clan members who followed Ye Mingsheng to build an empire in Fengshan County!
Although Ye Dayong had not made any great achievements over the years, he was diligent in the army and relied on his seniority to become the lieutenant general of the Second Army...
This time when the 15th Division was formed, Guo Zhiping promoted him for comprehensive considerations and made him the deputy general of the 15th Division. His main function was to be in charge of logistics and military supplies. After all, Ye Dayong's surname was Ye, and he had the reputation of being a member of the Ye clan, so it was relatively convenient for him to get supplies and logistics.

As Ye Dayong was surnamed Ye and was one of the first batch to join the Fengwu Army, he could be said to be a genuine Fengwu soldier. So when faced with the internal fighting within the 15th Division, he was somewhat biased and protected the soldiers who originally belonged to the Fengwu Army. However, Zhang Hui advocated treating everyone equally.

As for the other deputy general, Cai Yaozu, although he wanted to favor the soldiers who originally belonged to the imperial guards, he himself was controversial within the Second Army and had little say in the issue of the 15th Division. So when faced with such a problem, he had no confidence and could only support Zhang Hui's idea and cling to Zhang Hui's thigh!

Because Zhang Hui was the main general and Ye Dayong was the deputy general, even if Ye Dayong intended to be partial, it would be of no avail. In the end, Zhang Hui's ideas were the main consideration in deciding how to deal with the internal fight.

Ye Dayong thought that how could a defeated general dare to talk about bravery? You, the imperial guards, have already lost, so stop shouting. You are asking for a punishment now. He thought that Zhang Hui was too tolerant and too weak!

When facing these surrendered soldiers of the Imperial Guard, we must make them realize who is the master, and let them know the hierarchy...
Therefore, Ye Dayong also intended to report the situation to Guo Zhiping and seek Guo Zhiping's support to change Zhang Hui's practice of treating everyone equally!

Originally, Ye Dayong wanted to find an opportunity to report to Guo Zhiping quietly, but now Zhang Hui was present, and he also said that everything was under control. If he directly stood up to oppose it, it would be a bit of a rift, and his work in the 15th Division would not be able to be carried out smoothly in the future!
Because it took a long time to get the position, Ye Dayong still cherishes the position of deputy general of the 15th Division, so after hesitating for a while, he said:

"Sir, I agree with General Zhang's opinion. Under General Zhang's leadership, our 15th Division will be more united and close-knit!"

Although on the surface Ye Dayong was willing to show Guo Zhiping the unity within the 15th Division, this could not change Ye Dayong's inner thoughts. He still planned to report the problem to Guo Zhiping alone after Zhang Hui left!
Guo Zhiping didn't know what Ye Dayong was thinking deep in his heart. After listening to Ye Dayong's opinion, he nodded and said:
"One month is indeed a bit too short. The lack of coordination between the soldiers will make it difficult for the two of you!"

“I have also heard about the situation of your 15th Division. Zhang Hui, you did the right thing. In the past, everyone served different masters, but now everyone is eating from the same spoon, so we should treat everyone equally. Let’s put the past behind us and not mention it. Now we should all point our guns at the outside world and work together for the court and the Marshal…”

Hearing what Guo Zhiping said, Ye Dayong's expression changed slightly. He didn't expect Guo Zhiping to support Zhang Hui's approach. However, thinking about Guo Zhiping's background as a bandit, this matter didn't seem surprising!
These two sentences of Guo Zhiping might be what he was thinking. This time, Guo Zhiping was awarded the title of Earl instead of being made a marquis like He Jingyun and Yuan Song. There was news in the army that it was a problem of his origin!

Thinking of this, Ye Dayong was secretly glad that he did not report his thoughts to Guo Zhiping, otherwise he would have run into Guo Zhiping's trap!

After affirming Zhang Hui's approach, Guo Zhiping pondered for a moment and then asked:

"What do you think of Cai Yaozu during the time you spent with him?"

Hearing this, Zhang Hui and Ye Dayong looked at each other and exchanged glances. Zhang Hui then carefully considered his words and said:

"General Cai is a good man, humble and kind, and has helped me a lot during this period, but sometimes he is a little too cautious!"

Guo Zhiping did not say anything after hearing this, but looked at Ye Dayong who was standing aside. Compared to Zhang Hui's euphemism, Ye Dayong said directly:
"In my opinion, General Cai is just a man who seeks fame and reputation. He values ​​his reputation more than military orders!"

Guo Zhiping couldn't help but frowned when he heard that. He let Cai Yaozu be the deputy general of the 15th Division. He also had a deeper purpose. He hoped that Cai Yaozu would play the good cop and Zhang Hui would play the bad cop and show favor. The two of them would sing in unison and use both kindness and force to make the more than 20,000 former imperial guards of the 15th Division return to the Fengwu Army...
But now judging from what Zhang Hui and Ye Dayong said, Cai Yaozu seems to be unwilling to do such an offensive job on this issue!

Thinking of this, Guo Zhiping thought for a while, and then instructed his subordinates beside him:
"Please bring General Cai Yaozu to me!"

"Yes!" After a moment, a middle-aged man with a tall and straight figure and elegant temperament came over. This man was Cai Yaozu, the deputy general of the 15th Division. If you didn't look at the military uniform he was wearing at this time, just looking at his appearance and temperament, you would never associate him with a general who led troops to fight on the battlefield.

Compared to the men fighting on the battlefield, Cai Yaozu is more like a teacher. In fact, Cai Yaozu himself is a scholar, but he has always failed the imperial examinations. Therefore, Cai Yaozu had no choice but to become a military general under the operation of his father!

Looking at Zhang Hui and Ye Dayong who had been standing aside, Cai Yaozu was not surprised at all. Although he was now an officer of the Fengwu Army, Cai Yaozu knew very well in his heart that he was not yet a member of the Fengwu Army!
Ye Dayong has always been very polite to him. Although Zhang Hui is very polite to him, he also keeps a distance among them!
In fact, Cai Yaozu himself understood why Guo Zhiping asked him to be the deputy general of the 15th Division. He was actually unwilling to be an officer of the Fengwu Army. Having been a military general for more than ten years, he knew too well that as a surrendered general, he would definitely suffer among the arrogant and brave generals of the Fengwu Army...
Cai Yaozu's family is well-off, and even if he doesn't serve as an official for the rest of his life, he can still live comfortably relying on the blessings of his ancestors. There is no need for him to wade into the muddy water of the 15th Division!
However, although Cai Yaozu wanted to refuse, he was not alone, he had a large family behind him. Although he wanted to lie down, his family was unwilling to let the entire Cai family lie down with him, especially Cai Yaozu's mother and wife, who tried their best to persuade Cai Yaozu to accept the job of the 15th Division!

So Cai Yaozu thought it over again and again, and decided to fight for his family and children. Therefore, he accepted the job and came to the 15th Division as a deputy general. However, the situation of the 15th Division and his situation as a deputy general in the Fengwu Army were as embarrassing as Cai Yaozu had expected!
Cai Yaozu, who entered the war room at this time, also bowed to Guo Zhiping and said:

"I, Cai Yaozu, pay my respects to Commander Guo!"

Guo Zhiping nodded with a smile, then looked at the three people in front of him and said:
"General Cai is here too, and the three of you are all here too. I will also inform you of the latest situation in Sichuan and Shu!"

"Because we have already decided to take the Stone Bull Road, and according to the news from the Coordination Office, the defenders of Lue County have basically given up resistance and are willing to surrender to our army!"

“However, the defenders of Ningxian, Guanghan and Zhaode are still rather vague about their attitudes. The Coordination Office is currently working hard to ensure that your Fifteenth Division wins without a fight and reaches Jianmen directly…”

"As for Jianmen, the situation is more complicated. After the death of Zhang Zhe, the general of Jianmen, the defenders of Jianmen also fell into a split. One part supported Hu Fei, the general who occupied Rongcheng, and the other part supported Ma Peng, the general of Bazhou!"

"The Coordination Office will try to make these two forces of Jianmen fight each other, so that your Fifteenth Division can clean up the mess. Currently, the Coordination Office is working with Hu Fei to entrust Xushe!"

"Hu Fei is currently fighting with Ma Peng for control of Sichuan. Your 15th Division is entering Sichuan under the pretext of helping Hu Fei attack Ma Peng, the general of Bazhou. Once Hu Fei lets you into Rongcheng, your 15th Division must destroy Hu Fei!"

"Although Hu Fei's troops are now said to have 100,000 men, everyone knows he is bragging. He currently has no more than 30,000 men."

"Once you enter the Sichuan-Shu Coordination Office, the people there will naturally contact you. You know how to contact them, so I won't repeat them!"

"After entering Sichuan, Zhang Hui, the three of you must be smart. If you encounter any problems, you can discuss it with Captain Liu Baichuan of the Coordination Office. As long as we kill Hu Fei and take over Rongcheng, Ma Peng of Bazhou will not be able to cause any trouble. It is only a matter of time before we control the entire Sichuan!"

After hearing what Guo Zhiping said, the three of them nodded solemnly. Then the four of them confirmed some details...

When the battle plan was almost finished, Guo Zhiping turned to Cai Yaozu and said:
"General Cai, I just heard from Zhang Hui that you have helped him a lot during this period, especially on some of the more difficult issues. It can be said that it is all thanks to your help. I will report all your contributions to the Marshal!"

Cai Yaozu was a little surprised to hear what Guo Zhiping said. In order to quell some hidden dangers within the 15th Division, he did do some work, but Cai Yaozu felt that this was all part of his job and did not seem to be worth Guo Zhiping's extra words!
Although he was a little confused, Cai Yaozu still bowed and said:
"Thank you for your appreciation, sir. These are all my responsibilities!"

Guo Zhiping smiled and continued to preach to him:

"General Cai, I agree with Zhang Hui's approach to dealing with the internal problems of the 15th Division. I also think you can play a greater role in the 15th Division!"

"To be honest, I have higher expectations for you, General Cai. Your future in the Fengwu Army is very bright and promising!"

Hearing what Guo Zhiping said, Cai Yaozu's eyes flashed with a barely detectable strange color. At first glance, there was nothing wrong with Guo Zhiping's words. What about the expectations for himself, and the belief that he could play a greater role...

But if you think about it carefully, you will find that what Guo Zhiping means is not as simple as it seems. What does he mean by "I think you can play a greater role"?

So what this actually means is that your current performance is not as good as I expected?
There is no doubt that what Guo Zhiping meant by this was a very subtle warning, telling you that Cai Yaozu must work harder to meet my expectations!

And then it says that you have a bright future in the Fengwu Army, which is actually a reassurance to Cai Yaozu, telling him that he does not need to worry about the consequences and just needs to serve the Fengwu Army well. The Fengwu Army will not treat you unfairly!

Cai Yaozu understood what Guo Zhiping meant, took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"Commander-in-chief, you have been very kind to me. Even if I die a thousand times, I will never be able to repay you. I will redouble my efforts to assist General Zhang in commanding the 15th Division and ensure that our army can control Sichuan and Shu, and live up to your trust!"

Ye Dayong, who was standing aside, listened to Cai Yaozu's impassioned speech. Although he didn't say anything, a hint of obvious disdain emerged in his expression.
(End of this chapter)