Go back to the end of the Ming Dynasty to be a soldier

Chapter 180 A Tougher Opponent Is Coming
After such a big victory, he didn't need any spoils, such as knives, guns, equipment, gongs, tents, food and horses, gold and silver treasures, and beautiful women robbed by thieves, as long as the more than 2000 captives.Has this Zongbing Lin got water in his head?
The current imperial court has reached the point where it can no longer support soldiers and horses. Civilian officials, military officials, and millions of troops are all asking for money. On the one hand, natural disasters have been severe in recent years. In some places, such as Shaanxi, there is even no harvest all year round. There are thousands of miles of barren land and hungry people everywhere. , Not to mention paying taxes to the court, the court has to pay for them.

On the other hand, there are constant wars outside the border. The war with the Mongolian Yuan, the war with the Jiannu, no matter who the war is, in the final analysis, it is all about money.Corrupt officials took the opportunity to plunder the people, and those unscrupulous traders and wealthy businessmen continued to speculate, evaded taxes, and all the money flowed into private pockets.

The national treasury has been running low year after year, and the Emperor Chongzhen used his internal funds to make up for the hole at every turn, and now the internal funds are also in a hurry.Arrears of food and salary in the army are very common, and some even fail to pay food and salary for an adult. Soldiers mutiny and become thieves everywhere.

This phenomenon is most serious in Shaanxi, so it is also one of the root causes of the outbreak of thieves in Shaanxi.

Under such circumstances, the phenomenon of empty pay in the army is serious, and the officers who lead the army falsely report their establishment, wishing to reduce the number of generals under them significantly, so that more food and pay allocated by the court can flow into their pockets. Fill your pockets.

In such a situation, who would want these captives?The normal food and salary can't be paid, so what to support them?If you don't kill them all, throwing away the prisoners is equivalent to throwing away the burden!
Therefore, one officer and one officer in Shaanxi, the two chief soldiers had their hearts turned, looked at each other tacitly, and agreed.

In the end, Ji Dong really didn't want those spoils. Li Guoqi and Huang Ming really threw all the prisoners of this battle to Ji Dong.

Of course, Ji Dong knew it well. The spoils of more than 1 thieves from the First Battle of Longmen Mountain and the trophies of more than 2 thieves from the First Battle of Suide were piled up like a mountain.

As for the trophies of the more than 1 bandits in Yichuan, let's just give them a favor.After all, the two of them are orthodox military officers in Shaanxi, and they are only here to help suppress thieves.The Shaanxi army lost a lot of people, lost a lot of blood, sweated a lot, and worked hard without credit. Now that they finally won a battle, the spoils are considered pitiful and rewarded to them. After all, right now, everyone is in the trenches of suppressing thieves.

As a result, everyone was happy. Li Guoqi, the commander-in-chief of Shaanxi, and Huang Ming, the deputy commander-in-chief, praised Lin Yi's righteousness and discussed the matter of rewarding the court.

Killed five bandit leaders and [-] to [-] bandit soldiers at once, and the memorial to the Long Shu case must be Longyan Dayue.The three commanders, including Ding Qirui, governor of Shaanxi, and Zheng Chongjian, governor of the three sides, all had to be promoted by the court. Of course, they reported this great achievement, and they had to go over many details.

Of course, Ji Dong didn't care about these fame. The previous two battles had been clearly stated in the letters to the two of them. This battle was right in front of them, and they were familiar with it.The two of them were asked to draft casually, and the Shaanxi General Soldier found the copywriting, and quickly drafted the notes for Lin Yi to have a look at.

Lin Yi read it roughly, and it was basically the facts. Of course, Lin Yi contributed the most, followed by Li Guoqi, the commander-in-chief of Shaanxi, and then Huang Ming, the deputy commander-in-chief. It is emphasized that this is of course to highlight the contributions of Li Guoqi, the commander-in-chief of Shaanxi, and Huang Ming, the deputy commander-in-chief. Lin Yi will not argue with them. Signed and printed.

Of course, Lin Yi knew that this booklet would not be able to fly to the Chongzhen Emperor's Longshu case, and had to go through layers of processing and packaging by Shaanxi Governor Ding Qirui and Trilateral Governor Zheng Chongjian. How could it be possible without the role and credit of these two supervisors? ?
After finishing these tasks, Lin Yi took his 5000 troops and escorted more than 2000 prisoners, and temporarily stayed in Yichuan to wait for orders.

Shaanxi General Li Guoqi and Huang Ming's soldiers and horses were together, and the two general soldiers returned to Xi'an temporarily with their troops to stand by.

In the next battle, they should move to the south to encircle and suppress the troops of the bandits Zhang Xianzhong, Ma Huihui and Luo Rucai, but this depends on the order of the governor of Shaanxi and the governors of the three sides, which troops will go where to fight, and the specific strategic tasks. Whatever it is, it must be done according to the order, and it cannot act without authorization and fight on its own.

Before leaving, the two chief military officers from Shaanxi, as landlords, held a sumptuous banquet in Yichuan. After the three chief military officers had eaten and drank their fill, Lin Yi personally sent them out of the city.

The thousands of Shaanxi soldiers outside had already prepared, the carts and carts were full, and so were the animals on their backs. Of course, they were all food, wages, and spoils of war.

The two commanders-in-chief bid farewell to Lin Yi, and left Yichuan with a large group of troops, heading for Xi'an Mansion.

The two walked side by side, the hearts of the two general officers were finally relieved, and finally wiped out these deadly thieves. At last they won, and they had an explanation to their superiors and the court. They would not be punished again, and they would definitely be rewarded for their meritorious service. Therefore, the two general soldiers felt comfortable when they saw everything. There was a smile on the top, too.

The two chatted while walking, and they talked about Ji Dong. Apart from praising Ji Dong's bravery and strategy, they also had some contempt and disdain for Ji Dong.

Huang Mingdao: "My lord, General Lin has repeatedly defeated the Tartars, and he has also recruited many Mongolian tribes for the imperial court. Now that he has made such great achievements in suppressing the thieves this time, the emperor must be very happy and give him a lot of rewards. This man The future is limitless.”

"Brother Huang said that General Lin was brave enough to stand out from others at a young age, and he was a reliable minister of the imperial court. It is said that he has soared from a small soldier in the frontier army to a general officer. In just a few years, he is a genius. Ah... But, " Li Guoqi paused for a while when he said this, the admiration and envy on his face decreased a lot.

Then he said with a disdainful smile: "But Zongbing Lin is still young after all, it seems like a bargain to ask for so many prisoners, and he will suffer a lot in the future!"

"What your lord said is that he thinks that he has too few soldiers and horses, and he is eager to expand his strength, but the problem of food and pay is a big problem. The treasury is so tight. Once the court fails to allocate food and pay, a thief is a thief after all. Thieves are hard to change. Mutiny It is inevitable, and it is unknown if it will lead to great disasters, taking these captives is tantamount to quenching thirst with poison." Huang Ming also responded with a smile.

"Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, Lao Huihui, Luo Rucai, Sweeping Tiger, Guo Tianxing, none of them are capricious. This time, the imperial court may not dare to recruit them again. Mr. Xiong Wencan, the prime minister of the five provinces, is in jail. It is said that the Minister of the Ministry of War Elder Yang Ge has also been severely reprimanded by the emperor, this time he came down to personally supervise the teacher, and he will definitely kill these rogues. It's a pity that Brother Lin dared to take their prisoners, really..." Li Guoqi said here , shaking his head.

"My lord, it is said that Mr. Lin not only recruited those thieves, but also boldly released them. As long as those who do not want to serve as soldiers with him, they will all be exempted from their guilt, let the past go, and be released unconditionally. If someone impeaches him, Mr. Lin may really It’s hard to escape the blame.”

"After all, Ji Dong is still young and short-handed. Forget it, let's not talk about him, let's not talk about him."...

After sending away the soldiers and horses of the two general officers in Shaanxi, Lin Yi sent an order to transfer Suide's soldiers and horses together with the prisoners.

During this period, Lin Yi took Yichuan as his temporary base, cleaned up the battlefield, buried the corpses, rested the soldiers and horses, repaired the damaged city defenses and civilian facilities, strictly enforced military discipline, and worked hard to calm the people.Post a notice of the destruction of the thieves, and tell thousands of households, so that they don't have to panic and live and work in peace and contentment.

A few days later, Wang Jian, an officer in the army, led 3000 soldiers from the new training camp, escorted 8000 captives, and drove large carts and small carts of spoils. From Suide to Yichuan.

Now these thousands of captives are very honest. Their leader Guo Tianxing and Mi Xiaogui are all finished. They are willing to surrender to save their lives. Although the officers and soldiers did not release them these days, they did not kill them, and they were not even abused. Let them eat Eat, let them drink what they should drink, let them sleep what they should sleep.

It's just that these thieves are not at ease in their hearts, and they will not kill or let go. Will it continue like this?Especially after being escorted out, they heard that they were going to be escorted to Yichuan, and they were even more uncertain. Mr. Lin would not go back on his word, would he want to execute them there?
The thieves on the road dared to ask Wang Jian.

Wang Jian smiled and reassured them. Master Lin has always followed his word.

Some rogue surrendered generals also killed thieves and made military exploits in this battle. Like other meritorious soldiers, they have been registered in the credit book and are waiting to be honored in the future.These people used to be the subordinates of Shooting the Sky and Sweeping the Tiger. The former became Ji Dong's captives in the battle of Longmen Mountain. With the mentality of giving it a try, after surrendering to Lin Yi, they did not expect to be discriminated against. It's Daming's regular army treatment, and now they have made meritorious service. They are all glad that they chose the right path and followed the right lord. This is much more dignified than being a thief!
What Wang Jian said, because everyone was a gang of thieves in the past, some of them really secretly told these captives their experiences. It was completely voluntary, and those who were willing to serve as soldiers stayed, and were given armor, knives, guns, and food. , From now on, he will become Lord Lin's soldier, and they will be treated equally.If you don't want to, just leave. For the big crimes that happened in the past, forget the past. If you register and make a promise that you will no longer be a thief, you can slap your ass and leave.

These thieves' eyes are wide open, as if listening to a book from heaven, is there really such a cheap thing in the world?Master Lin is truly a bodhisattva!The rumor spread about the thieves, and everyone was very envious, but when they arrived in Yichuan, they didn't know if the halo of luck would cover their heads. Their eyes were full of anticipation while wearing the rope.Therefore, along the way, the five thousand captives were better behaved one by one, going east or west, walking when they were told, and stopping when they were asked.

With so many thieves, Wang Jian and the others did not encounter any trouble after traveling hundreds of miles in the mountains.

After meeting Ji Dong, Wang Jian handed over the order.Explaining what happened on the road, Lin Yi laughed and praised Wang Jian for a good job.Then, Lin Yi combined the captives on the battlefield in Suide and the captives in Yichuan, there were [-] people, and then told them the policy for treating the captives. reluctantly.

When these thieves heard that there was such a cheap thing in the world, they all expressed their willingness to eat food and serve as soldiers, and they were willing to swear their allegiance to Lord Lin to the death, so that they would strip off the thieves and serve the court.Only a small number of people are tired of these days of beatings and killings. There are still children and relatives at home. They choose to receive education, take off their military uniforms after registration, and return to their hometowns to be obedient citizens and never be thieves.

A total of more than [-] people were released unconditionally. Among the more than [-] people, many of them were persuaded by Lin Yi's generals because they were weak or disabled after medical examinations and were not suitable to stay in Lin Yi. Yi's team.

Lin Yi's recruitment of prisoners, of course, can't be like other warlords, just to make up the number, he has to touch his head, and he has to do everything. First, he must be young and middle-aged, and second, he must have a similar physique. At least he must not be injured or defective, otherwise he will be cannon fodder in the army. , This is a disregard for human life, and in the end a total of more than [-] people were recruited.

Lin Yi immediately issued an order to distribute military uniforms, equipment, food and salaries to them. Of course, these military supplies all came from the spoils of these few battles. In the two battles, 4 or [-] thieves were wiped out. Of course, these thousands of people are more than enough in a short time, and of course there is no problem with the supply of food and wages at the moment, and Lin Yi has already settled these accounts.

These 4000 people used to be the essence of the stars, the mud, and the lights, and now they have turned into Lin Yi's army.

From thieves to soldiers, it is not just about changing uniforms, giving them benefits to make them grateful, but also getting rid of their gangster spirit as soon as possible, which must be restrained by iron discipline. Therefore, these 4000 people were concentrated and dispersed after instilling discipline. Among the 8000 people who were reorganized into Lin Yi, there were all banners, teams, and battalions, disrupting the order, and then correspondingly leading the troops to instill discipline and manage them. No matter who violated military discipline, of course they were treated equally.

The [-] captives had been rectified for nearly ten days. Apart from listening to the reports, Lin Yi went to the camps every day to visit and inspect them from time to time. He didn't feel relieved until he felt that the overall situation was almost the same.

It is not easy to digest these more than 5000 people (including more than 1000 people from the previously adapted Shetatian and Sweeping Tigers). Lin Yi has long studied these thieves in the late Ming and late Ming Dynasties, and has formed in his heart. A set of plans to conquer them must prescribe the right medicine, combining hardness with softness, combining leniency with strictness, and giving both grace and power. Only in this way can they be controlled.

Now Ji Dong's troops have broken through 2000, and it has been half a month since the extermination of the rogues here. After the increase and decrease of soldiers are balanced, the overall number has not decreased, but has soared from [-] when he left Miyun to the present. Twelve thousand, and the team is very stable.

Lin Yi felt very satisfied as if he had completed a big project. From now on, he would lead more than 1 people to fight. This is how he looks like a general officer.

"Brother Lin, what if the imperial court doesn't allocate food and pay for such a sudden increase in troops?" Xiaoying was worried.

"What are you afraid of? The God of Wealth is following you." Lin Yi smiled and looked at Zhe Zhe.

"Brother Lin was joking, what kind of God of Wealth is Zhezhe? Zhezhe's savings are all controlled by Brother Lin, but it's just a small amount, and after a long time, so many people will eat nothing."

"Don't worry, as long as we can win the battle, we don't have to worry about running out of money and food. We don't need to steal or rob when we meet, and someone will bring it to us."

"Brother Lin said that if you wipe out a few more thieves, you will have everything. Who are we going to fight next?"

"I don't know, just wait, there should be some clues soon."...

Sure enough, within two days, an order from the governor of the three sides, Zheng Chongjian, arrived.In this order, first of all, Lin Yi and his three generals were greatly praised for their meritorious service in suppressing thieves, saying that the emperor's imperial edict had not yet been issued, and the memorial of the victory had already been delivered.

But now the military situation is urgent, Zhang Xianzhong's [-] troops have arrived in Xing'an territory, Zuo Liangyu's men are fighting fiercely with them, He Renlong's men caught up with Ma Huihui's team in Guangyuan, Luo Rucai's men rushed out of Yunyang And Junzhou, there is a great tendency to enter Shaanxi.

Governor Zheng asked Lin Yi's troops to immediately go to the Baishui River in the south of Shangzhou, that is, the area around Shanyang County, Shaanxi Province in later generations, to prevent Luo Rucai's troops from running into Shangluo Mountain, and then fleeing to Shaanxi to cause chaos.At the same time, Li Guoqi, the commander-in-chief of Shaanxi, and Huang Ming, the deputy commander-in-chief, were ordered to lead their troops to Xing'an, which is Ankang in later generations, to stop Zhang Xianzhong.

In the end, Zheng Chongjian emphasized after this order that if any group of people loses the battle, and the previous credit for suppressing the bandits is in vain, the court will definitely punish those who are severely punished and convicted of serious crimes, remember to remember.

After receiving this decree, Lin Yi knew that someone more difficult to deal with was coming. Luo Rucai was nicknamed Cao Cao. Lin Yi knew this man before he traveled, and the history books and film and television works of the late Ming Dynasty often have the shadow of this man. Listen to this foreigner You can know what kind of person it is just by the nickname. A person's name may be wrong, but the nicknames given to him by everyone must be good.

Luo Rucai is also from Shaanxi. Speaking of this, I have to admit that Shaanxi is worthy of being a holy land of revolution. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the revolutionaries here showed a "blowout". The bosses are all from Shaanxi. Although there were many heroes in the late Ming Dynasty, Yang Sichang and his sons, Zheng Chongjian, Ding Qirui, Fu Zonglong, Hong Chengchou, etc. were more talented than each other. Huang Degong, Wu Sangui, etc. were more capable of fighting than the other, but the revolutionary leaders in Shaanxi finally gave the order of the Chongzhen court of the Ming Dynasty to "revolution".

Luo Rucai's reputation once surpassed that of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.He also made his debut much earlier than Li Zicheng. When Gao Yingxiang called Chuang Wang, Li Zicheng was still a humble soldier in the army. At that time, Luo Rucai had already become famous.According to historical records, when the strength was at its greatest, Luo Rucai had 40 troops under his command. Like Laohui Huima Shouying, he was one of the most important figures in the peasant army in the late Ming Dynasty.

After accepting Xiong Wencan's recruitment, Luo Rucai separated Yunyang and Junzhou. Zhang Xianzhong rebelled in Gucheng, and he responded in Yunyang and Junzhou. Lao Huihui also raised the banner in Hunan. These people are now stronger than Li Zicheng Many, it was precisely because they restrained a large number of officers and soldiers that Li Zicheng had the opportunity to escape from Shangluo Mountain and flee to Henan.

Therefore, Ji Dong knew that a more difficult opponent was coming...

(End of this chapter)