Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 622 A Glimpse into the Lives of the Soldiers Loyalists

Upon hearing Qin Tian's words, the garrison commander burst into laughter: "These troops from afar have traveled thousands of miles to the capital. If they're not here to defend the emperor, are they here to rebel?"

The soldiers in Datong Town burst into laughter, as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world.

Qin Tian placed his hand on the hilt of the knife and did not answer the question.

After chuckling a few times, the garrison commander felt a little awkward seeing the other party remain silent and not respond to the joke. He blurted out, "Holy crap, could it really be a rebellion?"

Qin Tian completely ignored his words and simply said coldly, "Make way!"

Enraged, the garrison commander drew his sword with a clang and shouted, "Boy, today I'll teach you some manners!"

As soon as he drew his knife, the guards and special forces soldiers behind Qin Tian reacted immediately, raising their Patriot rifles in unison, their dark muzzles pointed at him.

The garrison commander snorted, "So you're all musket soldiers! These lousy things are practically useless, like fire pokers, and they're prone to exploding. And you treat them like treasures?" He waved his hand, and the soldiers from Datong Town behind him surged forward, raising their spears and swords, glaring menacingly at the enemy. The two sides couldn't exchange a single word, and a standoff ensued.

Just then, a general dressed in brand-new armor and wearing a scarlet cloak rode over on horseback, surrounded by a group of soldiers. Upon seeing this scene, he looked displeased and asked, "What is going on here?"

The garrison commander replied respectfully, "Governor, we don't know where these people came from. They came right up and said they wanted to enter the city, and even asked us to make way for them. The brothers were furious..."

The military officer frowned and looked at Qin Tian: "Call your superiors over here. With a formidable enemy at hand, how can there be infighting among your own people!"

Seeing that he spoke with such righteous indignation, Qin Tian didn't want to refute him. After thinking for a moment, he waved his hand to have the soldiers behind him lower their guns and sent someone to inform Liu Ye.

Not long after, Liu Ye arrived, and the military officer stepped forward and introduced himself: "I am Wang Pu, the General of Datong, who has come to the capital to defend the emperor by imperial decree. May I ask who you are?"

Liu Ye clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Liu Ye, General of Qionghai Town."

Wang Pu's eyes lit up. "So it's the famous Qionghai Town. I've long admired the Earl of Pingnan."

Liu Ye didn't understand why General Wang was being so enthusiastic, and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Wang Pu rode up to Liu Ye in a friendly manner and rode alongside him, saying, "The Earl of Pingnan captured the rebel Gao Yingxiang alive, and I admire him greatly..." Then he whispered, "The Earl of Pingnan contributed 200,000 taels of silver, which benefited Xuanfu and Datong. I am extremely grateful."

Liu Ye suddenly realized that the man had benefited from his actions. However, the 200,000 taels of silver that had been "donated" were all handed over to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, and then allocated to Xuanfu Town and Datong Town in the name of the imperial court. Emperor Chongzhen would not be so foolish as to reveal the source of the silver to the public, otherwise he would be admitting that he was so poor that he could not even pay for the troop mobilization.

He couldn't help but ask, "It's true that I provided the money, but how did General Wang find out?"

Wang Pu laughed and said, "I'm an old acquaintance of a clerk in the Ministry of War. I overheard this while we were catching up over drinks. I was saying that the court has been in arrears with pay for many years, so how come we have money this time when we're being transferred to fight the bandits? It turns out it's all thanks to the Earl of Pingnan's financial support..."

Liu Ye sized up Wang Pu: his armor was newly made and spotless, his scarlet cloak was brand new, the hilt of his sword at his waist was gilded with patterns and inlaid with a perfectly round pearl, and even his warhorse was tall and sturdy, a head taller than the short Mongolian horse, though it was impossible to tell what breed it was. This was no military general on the battlefield; he looked exactly like a nobleman's son on a hunting trip.

He hesitated before asking, "General Wang doesn't seem like someone who's short of money. Why is he still hoping for that little bit of silver from the imperial court?"

Seeing him scrutinizing his attire, Wang Pu smiled and explained, "This is just for show. Datong is a very poor place; there's nowhere to make money. The Earl of Pingnan is very generous; I wonder what kind of business he's in that makes so much money. If there's a chance, could you lend me a hand and let me have a taste of the good life too?"

Liu Ye thought to himself, "Compared to Liu Guozhu, the General of Baoding, this man doesn't seem like a military commander at all; he's more like a businessman. That such a person could guard such an important town as Datong is probably because he bought his position with money. This shows just how corrupt the imperial court has become."

However, on the surface, he remained very polite: "General Wang is joking. I was merely doing my utmost to help the court suppress the bandits, and I didn't do anything to make money..."

Wang Pu clearly didn't believe it, but he didn't press the matter further. However, he wouldn't miss the opportunity to cultivate a relationship with this major benefactor.

"General Liu said he wanted to pass through the city, and I, Wang, had no objection. However, the decision-makers here are not me, but Governor Zhang and Governor Liang. We must obtain their consent."

"Commander Zhang? Governor Liang?"

"It's Zhang Fengyi, the Minister of War, and Liang Tingdong, the Governor-General of Xuanda."

The central command tent of the army.

Zhang Fengyi, his hands trembling, put a dose of traditional Chinese medicine into his mouth, then swallowed it with a sip of warm water. A trusted clerk beside him worriedly advised, "Minister, taking an excessive amount of rhubarb will do you a hundred harms and no good!"

Zhang Fengyi's eyes were glazed as he replied, "I volunteered to be the commander-in-chief, but seeing the Tartars conquer more than ten prefectures and counties, I was powerless to stop them. If I return to the capital, I might face execution at the West Market execution ground, losing all my reputation. It would be better to die outside the city and end it all..."

Ajige won a series of victories, conquering countless cities and capturing a large number of civilians and livestock. However, Zhang Fengyi was cowardly and dared not confront the enemy head-on. He knew that returning to the capital would surely lead to impeachment, and given the emperor's temperament, he would certainly behead him. It was better to die while overseeing the campaign. When the court investigated the matter, they would certainly not make things difficult for a dead man. Moreover, this way, he could not only protect his family but also leave a good name for posterity. Dying in this way was a "great fortune" amidst misfortune.

Just then, a messenger came at the door to report that Liang Tingdong, the Governor-General of Xuanda, had come to visit.

Liang Tingdong was Zhang Fengyi's predecessor, having served as Minister of War for a year. He was later impeached and dismissed from his post due to misconduct, only to be reinstated as Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong a few years later. He commanded the army supporting the emperor alongside Zhang Fengyi, but like him, he dared not go into battle, making them kindred spirits.

As soon as he entered the tent, he said in a panic, "Boqi, the scouts have reported that the Tartar army has left Shunyi and will soon reach Tongzhou. When they pass through the capital, won't they run into us? What should we do?"

Zhang Fengyi glanced at Liang Tingdong's face; he was also sallow and emaciated, exactly like himself. It was said that Liang, like himself, consumed rhubarb daily, seeking only a swift death. He sighed, "What can I do? Only death awaits me..."