"Major, Marshal Mao, please come over."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Mao Chengzuo put down the paperwork in his hand, sighed softly, and extinguished the oil lamp on the table.

Guards in gray army uniforms were waiting for him in front of the door. When they saw him come out, the guards turned on the light of the oil lamps and walked ahead to lead the way.

At this time, it was already the middle of the moon, and the moonlight like water poured on the land of Korea, gilding the military camp with only a few lights in the past.

Mao Chengzuo stood on the steps in front of the house and looked at it for a while, took a deep look at the eternal bright moon in the sky, and followed the guards to the Pingliao General Military Mansion, which was in Tieshan City.

At the gate of the city, the soldiers of the Dongjiang Army who were responsible for guarding Tieshan did not know the son of Mao Dashuai, and still scolded them to stop and come forward to search.

Mao Chengzuo did not anger the disrespectful attitude of the soldiers, but very cooperatively raised his hands and asked the guards to take out his officer/card.

After the soldiers who came forward checked Mao Chengzuo's officer/ID card in the firelight, they immediately saluted: "Hello Comrade Major." ”

Mao Chengzuo smiled in return, took the documents handed by the soldiers, and entered the city with the guards who had also been checked.

Now that it is the time of the child, this military city that has been operated by Dongjiang Town for a long time has already entered a peaceful sleep. During the day, the bustling streets were devoid of vendors and citizens, and the windows used for ventilation in the bright sunlight were closed.

Mao Chengzuo and his entourage walked along the main road of Tieshan, and from time to time they would be looked at by the patrol team.

"Are you going to go on a campaign?" Mao Chengzuo asked casually as he walked.

The guards followed Mao Chengzuo half a step behind. Even though the other party couldn't see him, the guard still nodded in greeting: "Report, this is military information, I can't answer." ”

A smile appeared on the corner of Mao Chengzuo's mouth, nodded to indicate that he understood, and continued to walk without saying a word.

The footsteps of the two men were a little loud in the silence of the city, and the sound of military boots hitting the stone pavement woke up the dogs of the citizens.

These intelligent canines opened their eyes and looked with some impatience at the gray-clad soldiers walking down the street. In the past few years, these soldiers in red fat jackets and gray uniforms have been patrolling day and day, and the dogs have long since changed from barking at the first sight to being motionless, and of course there is also the credit of their noisy owners.

The Pingliao General Military Officer's Residence, where Mao Wenlong lived and worked, was renovated from the former Joseon City Lord's Mansion, so it still has a slightly old wooden structure, unlike a newly built cement and concrete building.

In the middle of the night, the general of the Ming Kingdom, who led tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of base areas, was still working in the living room lit with candles and oil lamps.

In front of him, the senior generals of Dongjiang Town, who had arrived in Tieshan one after another in the past few days, were also sitting in danger, maintaining the most rigorous military appearance in front of the marshal.

"Let's relax." Mao Wenlong couldn't help but laugh when he looked at his subordinates who tied even the tiniest buttons on their clothes tightly. He put down the pen and paper in his hand, waved his hand and said, "Don't pretend like this, this time it's a meeting, not to check the meter." ”

As soon as the officers below heard this, they relaxed and laughed against the soft backs of their chairs.

Looking at the smiling Mao Wenlong, the officers' hearts were also very relaxed. Since agreeing to the Song people's request for reorganization the year before last and swearing to finally reach the Chinese national united front, Dongjiang Town under the leadership of the marshal has received military assistance that has made everyone jaw-dropping. In the past, the military salaries exploited by Denglai civil officials and Guan Ningjun were as worthless as comparing the weight of ants and elephants.

Mao Wenlong looked at the orders from the Song people, but his eyes were not as relaxed as his subordinates.

This was an order to mobilize a regiment of the Donggang Army to Huihe on Jeju Island. Although Mao Wenlong had signed it a few days earlier, his heart became uncontrollably nervous at the thought that this Song-style army regiment composed of survivors from Liaodong was going to go on an expedition to Japan.

"It's old after all." He thought.

Just as he was about to say more, the guards in front of the door came in and reported: "Marshal, Lieutenant Colonel Zhang Fengyuan and Major Mao Chengzuo have arrived." ”

"Come in, please." Mao Wenlong stood up and strode out. The generals of the Dongjiang Army, who were talking and laughing in the room, also immediately regained their military appearance, and sat on their chairs and did not dare to move.

Before he reached the door, a middle-aged man wearing a lieutenant colonel's uniform stepped into the door with a smile and arched his hand: "Your Excellency the Chief Soldier, don't be polite, how dare Zhang bother you to come out to greet you." ”

Mao Wenlong smiled and greeted the man, but then exchanged military salutes. After the salute was over, the lieutenant colonel walked to the top with Mao Wenlong, sat on the first chair below Mao Wenlong, and took the whole room into his eyes.

And Mao Chengzuo, who followed Zhang Fengyuan, kept waiting outside the house. It wasn't until Zhang Fengyuan sat down on the chair that Mao Chengzuo shouted "report" and walked into the house.

Mao Wenlong nodded, let him sit in the chair below, and then announced the meeting began.

"Everyone has read this document." Mao Wenlong shook the order in his hand and looked at everyone, "The first regiment of the second division that will be transferred to Japan to fight is ready on Phi Dao. If there are no accidents, they will board the ship tomorrow and depart. ”

"Now I will choose the generals who will lead the first regiment on the march, and I will choose from among you."

When the generals below heard Mao Wenlong's words, the image of the soldier who had been tense began to be unable to maintain. You look at me, I look at you, small movements unfold all the time, but no one is the first to speak.

Zhang Fengyuan looked at the hesitant crowd with a smile, and did not open his mouth to mobilize. His status is special, and his official status is the head of the Army Advisory Group belonging to the National Defense Force, and he was sent to the Dongjiang Army to manage the middle and low-ranking army officers of the Song Dynasty.

And the other identity that everyone knows is the prison army.

As long as Zhang Fengyuan believed that Dongjiang Town had violated the orders of the Ao and Song Dynasty, or dealt with it negatively, he could report directly to the governor and further stop aiding the Dongjiang army, which was undoubtedly a fatal threat to Dongjiang Town, whose relations with the Ming State were becoming more and more stale.

As a China expert who has served in the Dongjiang Army for five years, the lieutenant colonel officer with dual status knows very well what Mao Wenlong and his subordinates are worried about.

The Tokugawa shogunate, which was not very good in both soft and hard power, naturally could not worry the fierce generals who were killed in the sea of blood. In fact, what made Dongjiang Town hesitate was an antique order that had existed for more than 200 years.

I still haven't figured out why Zhu Yuanzhang wants to issue the ineffective imperial motto of "The Country of No Expedition".

Japan, which the Dongjiang Army is going to participate in the crusade, is a country that is written in black and white on the country of non-conquest. Obviously, if Dongjiang Town blatantly interfered in Japan's internal affairs, or even sent troops to invade Kyushu Island, they would have unabashedly violated the will of Emperor Taizu.

It would be nice if there was a strong emperor behind this who expressed his support. But now, the young Emperor Chongzhen is still unswervingly fighting against Wei Zhongxian, where does he have the heart to interfere with Japan? The Shandong civil official group, which is responsible for the logistics supply of Dongjiang Town, has long been dissatisfied with Mao Wenlong, who does not understand the rules of officialdom, if they know about this matter (it must be impossible to hide it), then what will happen to Dongjiang Town?

Mao Wenlong and his subordinates had to worry about this.

Zhang Fengyuan, who was invited to participate in this meeting, certainly knows his task.

The order signed by Mao Wenlong to send troops has already shown his attitude, that is, to follow the Ao Song Dynasty to the black, and from then on the Ming Kingdom is a foreign country. The purpose of convening this high-level meeting is actually to let the various petty warlords who control military power agree on their opinions and reach a consensus.

(The current Dongjiang town is a bit like the Guangzhou military government in the early 20s, Mao Wenlong is Sun Guofu, and the various guerrilla generals under him are the warlords under Mr. Sun.) However, Mao Wenlong's power and prestige are much greater than Mr. Sun's, and he can basically control the Dongjiang River. ）

Shang Kexi (Note 1), who is in charge of the Phi Dao Marine, was the first to speak. (The position and rank of this famous Ming naval general in the Dongjiang Association of the Ao and Song Dynasty was "Deputy Commander of the Liaohai Detachment of the Pacific Fleet, Lieutenant Colonel")

"Marshal, Japan is a country that is not to be conquered." He cautiously reminded Mao Shuai, for fear that Da Shuai would forget this ancient instruction.

Mao Wenlong glanced at him with a serious face, his hands were open, his palms were held down on the table, and the index finger of his right hand lightly tapped the tabletop, making a "bang" sound.

As Shang Kexi shattered the strange silence, a few more people spoke up to express their concerns about the expedition. In front of Zhang Fengyuan, who was a hundred times stronger than the eunuch army, these old men showed the delicate heart hidden under the rough appearance.

For example, various reasons such as "worrying that friendly countries will be surprised," "foreign countries are looking sideways," "undermining the stability of the regional situation," and "Jiannu may take the opportunity to sneak attack" hinted at the possible disadvantages of this expedition from diplomatic, military, political, and agricultural production, and so on.

Zhang Fengyuan maintained an impeccable smile, his hands relaxed on his abdomen, leaning on the pancreas, feeling guilty that he had always felt that these feudal military leaders were fools who did not understand politics.

"You can't judge people by their appearance in the future." He reflected inwardly.

Mao Wenlong also tapped his head, still not responding to the opinions of his subordinates. After everyone except Mao Chengzuo got up to speak, Mao Wenlong nodded his son's name unhurriedly.

"Major Mao Chengzuo, what is your opinion?" (Note 2)

Mao Chengzuo pursed his lips and stood up, looked up at his father, who was looking at him, and said, "I think we should send troops." ”

Mao Wenlong raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why?" ”

Mao Chengzuo glanced at Zhang Fengyuan, who had a calm face, and said in a deep voice: "First, the independent income of Dongjiang Town depends on maritime taxes nine times out of ten. Almost all of the merchants who traveled from Shandong and North Zhili to and from southern Liaoning were going to Japan. The Tokugawa shogunate's persecution of the Saga Domain also caused great harm to the Togashi. ”

Second, the Great Song Dynasty provided Dongjiang Town with weapons, clothing, grain and grass all the year round, and gave everything that was needed. It is necessary to know that Liaodong was not the land of the Song people, and the aid to Dongjiang was not because of the cold lips and teeth, but out of the great righteousness of defending China. If Dongjiang is unwilling to crusade against Japan this time, it will definitely chill the heart of the Great Song Dynasty. ”

"Third," Mao Chengzuo took a deep breath and said loudly, "If we don't go to Japan, won't Denglai's dog thieves get stuck in our military salary!" ”

Note 1: Shang Kexi was still called Mao Yongxi at that time, and his original name was restored after the conquest of Japan. In order to facilitate the reader's understanding, all the generals who were renamed by Mao Wenlong are described here with their original names.

Note 2: After Mao Chengzuo returned to Liaodong after studying in Australia and the Song Dynasty, he did not hold a position in the Dongjiang Army, but joined the Australian and Song Army as a major staff officer of the advisory group. Therefore, Mao Wenlong only called him "Major".