NFBE Chapter 135 Laying Out the Border
Chapter 135 Laying Out the Border
At the entrance of the Governor's Mansion—no, it should now be called the "Marquis of Jingyuan's Mansion"—the entire family, having already received the news, waited at the gate. Upon seeing Nie Gongting and Shen Lian return, they all knelt on the ground.
"Welcome back to the manor, Lord Marquis!"
"Hahaha, get up, all of you get up!" Nie Gongting said with a big smile, waving his hand to let everyone get up.
"Congratulations to Father and Brother-in-law on being granted the title of Marquis!" The happiest person here was probably Nie Rukui.
As the eldest son in the family, he originally had little presence. Who knew that his father would be granted the title of Marquis of Jingyuan, making him the heir apparent of the marquisate. After his father passed away, he would become the next Marquis of Jingyuan.
"Brother-in-law! Marquis Zhenyuan! Tsk tsk, amazing! Now our two marquises are one of a kind in the whole world, hahaha!" Nie Shuping also came over happily and pulled Shen Lian aside to say.
He was also appointed as a third-class light cavalry captain, a fourth-rank official, which meant he would receive a monthly salary. His second brother, Nie Xianfan, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan due to his outstanding military achievements.
The family returned to the hall in a lively atmosphere and sat down according to their status as the head of the household.
"Zhiyuan, after the banquet for all the officials, I intend to submit a memorial resigning from my military post!" Nie Gongting said, stroking his beard. Clearly, he had been considering this matter for a long time.
Shen Lian understood his concerns; both he and his son-in-law had been granted marquis titles. Shen Lian was about to take charge of Shandong, and his second son, Nie Xianfan, was the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan.
If Nie Gongting continues to hold military power in Zhili, the emperor and empress dowager will never be able to sleep.
Rather than waiting to be impeached, it's better to retire while he's still young. The court might even reward him handsomely for his past contributions.
“Father-in-law has fought for the country his whole life, it’s time for him to enjoy his retirement!” Shen Lian nodded.
If it weren't for my own actions, my father-in-law would have died a heroic death in the Battle of Baliqiao in Tianjin. Now it's good that he's retired!
In any case, his Wuwei Army had long been infiltrated by Shen Lian. During this defense of the capital, every one of these men had been promoted and made rich because of Shen Lian.
Moreover, it might be easier for him to rebel against the Qing Dynasty later without his father-in-law around.
The Jingyuan Marquis's residence was bustling with activity that evening. Officials of all ranks in the capital wanted to get close to the two marquises and make their mark. Even as dusk approached, carriages and sedan chairs of all sizes blocked the streets outside the mansion gates.
Left with no other option, Nie Gongting could only dispatch a battalion of soldiers to manage traffic and maintain order.
As dusk settled, the Jingyuan Marquis's residence was bustling with activity, filled with distinguished guests. In front of all the officials, Nie Gongting announced his intention to retire at the banquet.
This caused the few officials whispering in the corner to exchange bewildered glances, which quickly turned into genuine admiration. They were discussing submitting a memorial to impeach Nie Gongting!
They never expected that the other party was more noble than they imagined, while they themselves were the despicable villains.
With the central government back in force, Shen Lian readily handed over the administration of Zhili. Now all that remained was for them to assemble the army and take over the defenses of various regions.
He just hoped these people would act quickly so he could get back to Shandong as soon as possible. After all, that would be his real territory from now on.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Mancang, a sinner against the country, pays his respects!" Two men knelt upright before Shen Lian.
"Get up, both of you! I don't like kneeling around, especially in the army. From now on, we're all on the same side, so just be casual with each other." Shen Lian smiled and gestured for the two to stand up.
"You two have made a great contribution this time and should be rewarded properly. However, your identities cannot be revealed for the time being, so I have no choice but to transfer you to the border region. I hope you understand!" Shen Lian nodded and said.
"We dare not! Our families and those of our brothers owe our good life to Your Excellency. We will obey Your Excellency's orders in everything!" Jiang Shan and Zhao Mancang said, clasping their hands in greeting.
"Sit down, sit down and talk!" Shen Lian waved his hand.
"Don't think of your transfer to the area outside the Great Wall as an exile. In fact, there is great potential there. It is also a place I will be focusing on developing. Da Kui and the others are in Shenyang now, and they will stay there in the future. They are in the open, and you are in the shadows, cooperating with each other."
"Go find him when you get there. I've prepared all the supplies and weapons for you. An instructor will also assist you with the specifics of how to proceed!"
"We guarantee to complete the mission!" Jiang Shan and Zhao Mancang shouted at attention. This was something they had learned from the new army.
"Have you made arrangements for their families? Tell the brothers not to force them. Those who are willing to take a gamble for wealth can go, and those who just want a peaceful life can also be accommodated by me."
“A few older brothers and their families have been settled, and the rest of the brothers are willing to follow the commander-in-chief to make a difference!” Jiang Shan said excitedly.
The two men and their men arrived in the capital, unsure of their next destination. Only their unwavering faith in Commander Shen kept them going.
They know what they've done! It's impossible for them to stay in Shandong anytime soon. Now that the commander-in-chief has arranged everything for them, they feel at ease.
"Go with peace of mind! Do a good job! I, Shen Lian, never mistreat my brothers!"
"Remember to follow the mass line and maintain good relations with the local people. Remember the sixteen-character policy I gave you: When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."
"Use this skillfully, and I guarantee you'll be invincible and conquer a vast territory!" Shen Lian said proudly.
Chairman Mao's guerrilla tactics can be said to be the essence of thousands of years of warfare. His application of them in this era is simply phenomenal.
During this period, he had successively transported several thousand guns and hundreds of cannons to the area outside the Great Wall.
Jiang Shan and his group are all former bandits and outlaws, so they should adapt quickly. With his support, building a force like that of Commander Zhang shouldn't be a problem.
Whether we march north or south, we will surely surprise the world! This hidden force must be carefully cultivated.
With this, Shen Lian's plan was essentially complete. Now all that was left was to head to Shandong!
By the end of October, Shen Lian had finally completed the handover of all military and political affairs with the imperial court. He then took his leave and headed to Shandong.
Prior to this, his troops had gradually withdrawn to Shandong. However, although they had come with more than 20,000 men, they returned with more than 40,000.
During this period, he trained new recruits in the capital, and selected more than 10,000 of them to go south with him.
Shen Lian is now the Marquis of Zhenyuan, a Grand Councilor, Acting Governor-General of Shandong and concurrently the Minister in Charge of the Navy, and the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs. Each of these positions carries immense power and influence, so his travels are naturally different from before.
Yikuang, representing the imperial court, personally came to see him off! Envoys from various countries stationed in Beijing also came to see him off, and Shen Lian had become very close with them during this time. They had privately arranged many business deals.