xymnovel Chapter 408 Meng Zhang's Dilemma
Chapter 408 Meng Zhang's Dilemma
After Meng Zhang left, they were fully capable of using the foundation he had laid to build up a formidable Yellow Turban army!
This is why those behind-the-scenes manipulators are so fearless.
With proper guidance and utilization, the army left behind by Meng Zhang can be quickly transformed into a sharp weapon in their hands.
Although Meng Zhang controlled a large portion of the Yellow Turban army's forces, the Yellow Turban army's righteousness, faith, and personnel all came from the Taiping Sect.
Meng Zhang didn't actually have many countermeasures against these behind-the-scenes manipulators of the Taiping Cult.
Without the support of the Taiping Sect, this army would be like a tree without roots, unable to last long.
Otherwise, why are there so many examples of military generals being persecuted in ancient history? Was it because they dared not lead large armies in rebellion?
It's because they can't!
The imperial court controlled all aspects of the army's lifeline, including its maintenance and logistics.
What will they use to resist?
Once they embark on the path of resistance, what awaits them is the severing of their logistics and the desertion of their soldiers.
They might be able to rally the troops in the barracks, but the next moment, they might be bound hand and foot by the soldiers who once fought alongside them, unable to struggle.
Of course, if you were like the three kings of different surnames, you would have your own territory and be self-sufficient in your own army.
Then it's fine, but this is only a minority of cases.
Such situations are rare, and most military commanders still need the control and support of the imperial court to maintain their armies.
Putting aside everything else, the three kings of different surnames had previously relied on the Great Qian Dynasty to sustain their armies.
It's a bit too much to support such a large army with just one state.
The Yellow Turban Army today is the same; most of their logistics, food supplies, and various weapons and equipment are also handled by them.
In reality, most of them rely on the support of the Taiping Sect's behind-the-scenes forces.
Otherwise, how much money can you make just by robbing?
Perhaps at the beginning of the uprising, they were able to seize some property from the unsuspecting landlords and powerful families, but as time went on, would those landlords and powerful families sit idly by and wait for their doom?
Do you think those landlords and powerful families are stupid, or those aristocratic clans are stupid?
They foolishly stayed there waiting for the Yellow Turban Army to come and rob them.
If that's the case, why not contribute to the Great Qian Dynasty and get a better place in the dynasty?
Could they simply stay put and wait for the Yellow Turbans to come and criticize them?
Or perhaps when the Great Qian Dynasty retreats, they will leave behind all their supplies for you to profit from?
I want to eat fart!
If it weren't for the Taiping Sect providing support to the Yellow Turban Army, they would be in trouble now.
Meng Zhang alone couldn't even support the nearly 100,000 troops directly under his command within the Yellow Turban Army!
With nearly 100,000 elite troops, their food, clothing, shelter, fodder for warhorses, and repair and replacement of weapons all require enormous expenses.
Even the daily expenses of his Azure Dragon Legion amount to a considerable sum.
Meng Zhang's Azure Dragon Legion is now considered the elite of the elite among the Yellow Turban Army.
Their equipment, training, and daily expenses are far superior to those of ordinary armies.
The existence of the Taiping Sect was like a continuous lifeline, providing the Yellow Turban Army with necessary supplies and funds.
If this lifeline is cut off, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Without the Taiping Sect, Su Ye and even the Yunwang Mansion temporarily drew upon the supplies of hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers.
They were also a bit confused.
Without the Taiping Sect's financial support, they couldn't even afford to eat. How could Meng Zhang lead the team?
Even basic food needs are difficult to meet, let alone other requirements.
Wasn't their initial motivation for revolt precisely because they couldn't get enough to eat and couldn't survive, which led them to choose this risky path?
If we fall into hunger again, what is the point of this uprising?
If I couldn't afford to eat before I rebelled, and I still can't afford to eat after I rebelled, then wasn't my rebellion in vain?
Then why should I work for you?
That's good enough!
Meng Zhang was well aware of this; he understood what the support of the Taiping Sect meant to the Yellow Turban Army.
Therefore, he could not directly turn against the Taiping Sect, even though he was unwilling and knew that the Taiping Sect was controlling everything behind the scenes.
But the reality is cruel: without the support of the Taiping Sect, these hundreds of thousands of elite Yellow Turban soldiers will find it difficult to move an inch.
This dependency put Meng Zhang in a dilemma.
He needed to protect his interests within the Yellow Turban Rebellion while also trying to avoid conflict with the Taiping Rebellion.
He needs to carefully maintain this delicate balance at all times.
The soldiers, however, may not fully understand the complex relationships behind this; they are only concerned with their own livelihoods.
If they could no longer make a living, some soldiers might even become dissatisfied and harbor resentment towards Meng Zhang.
After all, it was they who chose to trust Meng Zhang and followed him onto this path of rebellion.
Now that even basic livelihoods cannot be guaranteed, this trust will naturally be severely challenged.
Now that even basic livelihoods cannot be guaranteed, this trust will naturally be severely challenged.
After all, their initial motivation for revolting was survival, to have enough to eat.
Therefore, Meng Zhang had to find a way to maintain his relationship with the Taiping Religion.
This is also the fundamental reason why Meng Zhang cannot directly turn against the Taiping Sect.
Although both sides were secretly plotting against each other, on the surface they maintained a friendly relationship.
The baggage train was taken as usual, and the battle was fought as usual.
As for who has the upper hand behind the scenes, that depends on their respective methods.
Meng Zhang wanted to kick them all out of the Yellow Turban Army and have them obediently become innocent bystanders providing supplies for the Yellow Turban Army in the later stages.
The Taiping Sect should refrain from interfering in matters concerning the Yellow Turban Army's military power and strength.
The masterminds behind the Taiping Cult had the same idea: Meng Zhang, you should just be a tool and lead the Yellow Turban Army to victory.
In their eyes, Meng Zhang was nothing more than a pawn to be used, and his reliance on his military power would only disrupt their carefully laid plans.
What's mine is mine, and what's yours is still mine!
They longed to control everything, to firmly grasp the Yellow Turban Army and Meng Zhang in their own hands.
In this silent contest, both sides displayed their unique abilities and employed a variety of tactics.
Relying on his prestige and influence within the Yellow Turban Army, Meng Zhang made efforts to limit the Taiping Sect's sphere of influence to a certain area.
Meanwhile, the masterminds behind the Taiping Cult used their resources and wealth to continuously plant spies within the Yellow Turban Army, attempting to seize more military power.
...
Meanwhile, Su Ye on the other side also began to make a final effort.
"System, use 110 summoning points to summon the Commander once!"
Su Ye was well aware of his own limitations. Currently, their top commanders, Tie Shiwen and Xue Rengui, had been left behind on the Wuzhou battlefield.
Meanwhile, the Taiping Cult's behind-the-scenes manipulators on the other side were clearly desperate and resorting to desperate measures.
Having laid bare all their secrets, the lineup of commanders and generals they assembled was naturally quite impressive as well.
If there weren't a few powerful commanders around to protect you, you wouldn't be able to do that.
Su Ye was genuinely a little flustered.