Chapter 324: The most powerful general in Liaoyang! (Thanks to the book friend Shen'an for the reward!)

Although they have the silver and materials, the Artisan Camp still has the task of producing the Tiger Crouching Cannon and the Po Lu Gun. Therefore, the Artisan Camp cannot produce Weiyuan Guns at full capacity every month. With the current scale of the Artisan Camp, the production capacity that can be allocated to Weiyuan Guns every month is only enough to produce about 300 guns per month.

At this rate, it would take about seven months for the two thousand Weiyuan guns that Ye Mingsheng wanted to be delivered to the troops. And considering the current situation in Liaoyang, Ye Mingsheng obviously couldn't wait seven months. In seven months, the opportunity would be gone. To be honest, it was uncertain whether he, Ye Mingsheng, would be there in seven months...
Although he could not accept this result, Ye Mingsheng did not force the Artisan Camp too much. He knew that the Artisan Camp's current production capacity had reached its limit. If he forced it, the output might increase, but the quality of the firearms could not be guaranteed.

If you want to increase the production capacity of the artisan camp, the real way is to find craftsmen and expand the scale of the artisan camp!
To this end, Ye Mingsheng, on the one hand, actively looked for folk craftsmen, and on the other hand, put pressure on Shen Jianzhong through various channels, asking him to send the 200 craftsmen over as soon as possible.

According to the calculations of the Artisan Camp, once the two hundred craftsmen are in place, the production capacity of the Weiyuan Gun will increase to about five hundred guns per month. In this way, it will only take two months for the Weiyuan Gun to form a large-scale combat capability in the Fengzhou Army!
In the ninth year of Anhe, at the end of February, just after the New Year, Ye Mingsheng received an unexpected news...

"Sir, General Ji Qiwei, who is under Song Wenhui's command, led 30,000 troops from Sanyuan County two days ago and is heading east!"

"We don't know where his specific target is yet, but I have ordered my men to step up the investigation!"

In the study of the General's Mansion, Huo San whispered to Ye Mingsheng:
Upon hearing the news, Ye Mingsheng's eyes suddenly changed. Sanyuan County is a strategic location adjacent to Changqing Prefecture, and it is also the first line of defense for Song Wenhui to attack Changqing Prefecture. Song Wenhui has stationed more than 50,000 troops and a large amount of military supplies and food there.

At this time, what does it mean that Song Wenhui does not attack Changqing Prefecture but instead sends his troops to the east?
To the east of Sanyuan County, there are only Fengzhou and Posuo Prefecture!
Could it be that Song Wenhui has changed his mind and wants to defeat me first, or does he want to attack Changqing Prefecture and Fengzhou at the same time?

That doesn’t seem right either…
Just a few days ago during the Chinese New Year, Song Wenhui sent an envoy over and gave me a lot of gifts, trying to sow discord between me and the Zhenwu Army. He invited me to attack Changqing Prefecture together, and said that he would give me half of Changqing Prefecture after the success. How come it's only been a few days and he wants to take on two at once?
The Zhenwu Army under Chen Dechang has about 50,000 men, he himself has 20,000 men, and Song Wenhui has 100,000 men. Whether fighting himself alone or Chen Dechang, Song Wenhui has an absolute advantage in military strength. But if he goes to war with both himself and Chen Dechang at the same time, Song Wenhui's advantage in military strength will be greatly discounted!
Without the advantage in military strength, how could Song Wenhui achieve his goal of a quick victory?
Thinking of this, Ye Mingsheng's eyes were full of doubts. After pondering for a while, he looked at Huo San...

Although Ye Mingsheng knew that Huo San was cautious and the matter was so serious, he must have cross-confirmed the authenticity of the information through other channels before passing the news to him, but he couldn't figure it out and couldn't help asking:

"Huo San, is your information reliable?"

"Sir, please rest assured that there is absolutely no problem with the information. It was obtained from a very safe channel!" In response to Ye Mingsheng's inquiry, Huo San said with certainty:

Feeling the confidence in Huo San's words, Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly, and then ordered:
"Send someone to report Ji Qiwei and his men's every move to me! Find out as soon as possible whether he is coming for us or heading for Posuo Mansion!"

"Yes, sir!" Huo San nodded.

After seeing Huo San off, Ye Mingsheng began to think alone in the study. Although it was still unclear whether Ji Qiwei's target was Fengzhou!
But given the current situation, it is always a good idea to prepare for a rainy day. As the old saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry!

His current military forces are deployed in dispersed locations. If Ji Qiwei and his 30,000 troops really come for him, and he is not prepared, he might defeat them one by one.

So I would rather believe it than not, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Realizing this, Ye Mingsheng no longer hesitated and immediately ordered all military officers above the rank of sentry commander in Fengzhou City to come to the general's mansion for a meeting.

Half an hour later, more than ten military officers including He Jingyun, Gu Sansi, Lin Huaiwu, Liang Xuezhan, etc. all appeared in the main hall of the general's mansion.

"Hello, General!" All the generals saluted in unison:

Looking around at everyone, Ye Mingsheng nodded and said in a deep voice:

"Everyone, sit down!"

Although Ye Mingsheng had already given the order, out of respect for Ye Mingsheng, the generals still waited until Ye Mingsheng sat down first before they took their seats.

Because the matter was urgent, Ye Mingsheng didn't bother to be polite and went straight to the point:

"The Coordination Office has received reliable information that Song Wenhui has sent his bandit-suppressing general Ji Qiwei and 30,000 troops from Sanyuan County to the east. Their target is very likely our Fengzhou!"

"Everyone, please discuss your ideas. Speak freely without any burden!"

After hearing the news reported by Ye Mingsheng, everyone present in the main hall suddenly became serious. Those who could do this were all senior generals under Ye Mingsheng, and everyone was very clear about the military deployment of Fengzhou...
Fengzhou currently has five battalions of infantry and one battalion of cavalry, which is a total of 15,000 regular troops. In addition, there are 5,000 to 7,000 reserve troops such as local militia and militia. They are scattered throughout the country and are engaged in production in peacetime. They will be incorporated into the army only in wartime.

In order to guard against the invasion of the Khitans, Ye Mingsheng deployed one-third of the standing army to Xinfa County. Now there are about 5,000 standing troops in Fengzhou City, and 5,000 standing troops in the Xiangshuiyuan area.

Whether it is to assemble the standing army scattered in various places, or to mobilize for war and incorporate the militia into the army, it takes time.
Therefore, compared with Ji Qiwei's 30,000 troops, Fengzhou not only has a considerable disadvantage in terms of military strength, but also has a very tight schedule. Fortunately, it is fighting at home, so it can gain some advantages...
As the deputy general of Fengzhou, General Yingyang of the Zhenwu Army and the de facto chief of staff of the Fengzhou Army, He Jingyun was the first to stand up and give his suggestions under the gaze of everyone.

"Sir, if Ji Qiwei attacks Fengzhou, then Tahe County will be his first barrier. So I think we should immediately inform the two commanders, Guo Zhiping and Ye Tie, who are stationed in Xiangshuiyuan, and ask them to abandon Xiangshuiyuan and return to Tahe County. We should also initiate war mobilization and let Tahe County's 1,500 militiamen rush to the county!"

"This way, Tahe County will have nearly 7,000 people defending the city, enough to resist Ji Qiwei's offensive for a while!"

Hearing He Jingyun's speech, Ye Mingsheng just nodded and said lightly:

"General He said it very well. Does anyone else have any comments?"

Perhaps because He Jingyun's words were very comprehensive, the others had no opinions. They all looked at each other with concern, and said nothing. Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng frowned slightly and locked his eyes on Liang Xuezhang. This time when Wang Mu came to Fengzhou, in order to prevent any unexpected events, Ye Mingsheng also activated the hidden man planted by the Coordination Office next to Liang Xuezhang. As long as Liang Xuezhang made any moves without permission, he would be killed immediately...
However, the facts proved that Ye Mingsheng was worrying too much this time. During the time Wang Muzhi was in Fengzhou, Liang Xuezhan had been staying in the mansion obediently and had not gone anywhere.

Although some things that happened in the past have caused Ye Mingsheng to lack trust in Liang Xuechang, after careful consideration, Ye Mingsheng decided to give Liang Xuechang a certain degree of tolerance and use him within a limited scope.

After all, Liang Xuezhan is talented, and now is the time to use people, and Ye is currently lacking talented generals under his command.

Secondly, Liang Xuezhan had worked in the Liaoyang Army for a long time and had a deep understanding of the Liaoyang Army's strength, factions and many other situations. This was unique among Ye Mingsheng's subordinates, and this information was very important to Ye Mingsheng and the Liaoyang Army.

It is precisely because of these two reasons that Liang Xuezhan can still sit here safely and listen to Ye Mingsheng's instructions, instead of dying of sudden cardiac death in the middle of the night, or dying in an accidental fire...

However, it is impossible for Liang Xuezhan to lead the troops alone. The only thing he can do is to display his talents under the supervision of Ye Mingsheng!

And now is the moment when Ye Mingsheng needs Liang Xuezhan to demonstrate his value!

"Commander Liang, you have been in Liaoyang for a long time. Do you know anything about Ji Qiwei?" Looking at Liang Xuezhang, Ye Mingsheng asked calmly:

Liang Xuezhang was a little surprised by Ye Mingsheng's question, but he immediately stood up and introduced himself to Ye Mingsheng:

"To answer your question, Ji Qiwei is from Menghe County, Liaoyang. His grandfather once served as a county magistrate, and his father once served as a commander in the Liaoyang army. Therefore, he can be considered to be from an official family."

“When Ji Qiwei was 20 years old, he was introduced to marry Liu, the daughter of a wealthy family in Menghe County, his hometown. With the financial support of Liu’s family, Ji Qiwei was promoted quickly in the Liaoyang Army. In just three years, he became a lieutenant general…”

"Later, Song Wenhui took control of Liaoyang. In order to join Song Wenhui, Ji Qiwei divorced Liu and married Song Wenhui's cousin Sun, becoming Song Wenhui's brother-in-law. Therefore, he was also trusted by Song Wenhui and was regarded as a close confidant by Song Wenhui."

"A few years ago, Ji Qiwei led his troops to wipe out several gangs of bandits entrenched in the Dabei Mountain area. As a result, he was awarded the title of General Suppressing Bandits and commanded 30,000 troops in Liaoyang!"

"Ji Qiwei is known to have the courage of ten thousand men. He is surrounded by several hundred trusted generals and soldiers. He is very brave in battle and often leads his men to charge into battle. Therefore, some people call him the most powerful general in Liaoyang!"

Seeing Liang Xuezhang describing Ji Qiwei's situation in such detail, everyone in the main hall looked at Liang Xuezhang in surprise. Feeling everyone's gazes, Liang Xuezhang also knew what everyone was thinking. He smiled bitterly and took the initiative to explain:
"When I was in the Liaoyang Army, I was a colleague of Ji Qiwei for a period of time..."

Looking at the bitter smile on Liang Xuezhan's face, Ye Mingsheng vaguely felt that the relationship between Liang Xuezhan and Ji Qiwei should not be as simple as ordinary colleagues. There must be a story between them, and perhaps even some grudges.

But since Liang Xuezhan was unwilling to say more, he didn't care. Anyway, this matter probably had nothing to do with him, Ye!

After Liang Xuechang finished introducing Ji Qiwei's situation, the generals became relatively active and proposed strategies such as luring the enemy deep into their territory and clearing the fields.

After listening to the opinions of all the generals, Ye Mingsheng was a little disappointed to see that everyone was a little afraid of Ji Qiwei, who was known as the best general in Liaoyang. However, he did not say much. He just asked Gu Sansi, the chief historian of the march:
"Have all the money and grain from Changqing Prefecture arrived?"

"The masters are here! Thirty thousand taels of silver and one hundred thousand dan of grain are now in our treasury!" Gu Sansi stood up and saluted and said:
Hearing this news, Ye Mingsheng finally showed a hint of satisfaction on his face. With this money and grain, plus the money and grain accumulated by Fengzhou, he could fight for a month...

After letting everyone talk for a while, just when everyone had almost finished talking and needed Ye Mingsheng to make the final decision, Ye Mingsheng said in a deep voice:
"Order Ye Tie and Guo Zhiping to lead their troops back to Tahe County to guard against Ji Qiwei's invasion. Also transfer Xun Ke's troops back to Fengzhou City. The entire Fengzhou area will enter war mobilization!"

"Ji Qiwei dares to come! I dare to kill him! Farming will start in March soon, and we can't drag it out with him for too long. If he delays farming, we won't have to fight this year, or we will all starve to death!"

As the chief of staff of the Fengzhou Army, He Jingyun's plan was correct. He used the Tahe County to block and consume the Liaoyang Army, and then proceed slowly. From a purely military perspective, Ye Mingsheng also thought this was correct.

But as the person in power, Ye Mingsheng needs to look at this issue more comprehensively. Now is the season for sowing seeds on the land, and it only happens once a year. If they are delayed now, they will have to plant seeds next year. Therefore, Ye Mingsheng must achieve his goal in one fell swoop and get rid of them directly. He cannot let them make the people of Fengzhou panic and affect the sowing of the land!
The large number of weapons currently equipped by the troops also gave Ye Mingsheng the confidence to do so!

Feeling Ye Mingsheng's determination, everyone present became serious. No one had any other ideas. They all stood up and shouted in unison:

"Yes!"

Everyone understands Ye Mingsheng's style. Before he makes a decision, everyone can speak freely and exchange their ideas. But after Ye Mingsheng makes a decision, everyone needs to abandon their ideas and devote themselves to executing Ye Mingsheng's orders.

Just when Ye Mingsheng was ready to confront Ji Qiwei's 30,000 Liaoyang troops, he received news the next day that Ji Qiwei led his troops into the territory of Posuo Prefecture.

In addition, Ye Mingsheng also received a piece of news that Jiang Chong, the chief artilleryman under Zhen Sanshan, rebelled and burned two granaries of Zhen Sanshan in Baihu Mountain, Zhen Sanshan's old nest, and then fled to Yanjiang County with two thousand cavalry to reunite with his brother Jiang Yuan.

Putting these two pieces of news together, Ye Mingsheng suddenly realized something and at the same time, he keenly felt that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was beckoning to him...

(End of this chapter)