Chapter 34 Enwei and use

The barracks of the army were temporarily stationed on Xiaogangfu not far from the east of the city gate.The guests from the governor’s camp, protected by heavily armed soldiers lined up in a line, bypassed the crowds of common people who crowded together, walked for a while on the field shrouded in twilight, and then walked from tent to tent Passed through, and finally filed into the Chinese army's tent. It seems that this is indeed Zhang Tianlu's daily living tent, and Zhang Tianlu himself did not move into the city to live.Because everything in the account is as usual.I probably didn't expect the boss to come suddenly, and it seemed a bit messy.Several personal soldiers were gathering and tidying up there in a hurry.This made Zhang Tianlu, who was leading the way, feel quite embarrassed.He grabbed a wine jar stopped at his feet, stuffed it into the arms of a soldier, waved them to retreat quickly, and then respectfully invited Hong Chengchou to be the tiger-skinned chair among them; then, he turned around and took the others The accompanying officials were led to both sides of the main seat one by one.At this moment, the generals under him also began to line up in front of the big tent as usual.However, perhaps due to the lack of a unified command, these generals who were supposed to be well-trained turned out to be a bit messy, and some of them stood in the wrong position in a daze, and only adjusted after being corrected by others.After dawdling for a while, they finally got their seats.So, led by Zhang Tianlu, they all bowed and lowered their heads, and greeted them upwards.

Hong Chengchou straightened up on the tiger skin chair.In the short half day since he arrived at the city of Huizhou, he had already discovered that because the battle had just ended, and even more so because of the victory, the soldiers were still in a state of excitement, indulgence, and even a little pride.At this time, it is necessary to give appropriate vigilance and restraint, especially for this group of generals who have command power.Otherwise, once the upper and lower levels are effective, all kinds of bad situations such as loose military discipline and non-compliance with orders will happen.This is what Hong Chengchou has been trying his best to prevent.Now, he decided to firstly rely on the solemn and meticulous implementation of the etiquette system to make these warriors re-aware of the inviolability of the authority of their superiors.So, he began to sit upright, with a majestic demeanor, calmly accepting the sign-up salutes of his subordinates, even if he met someone he was usually familiar with, he would not show the slightest courtesy.If someone's voice was slurred and he couldn't hear clearly, he would frown and signal to repeat it.And in the meantime, he kept casting his piercing eyes on every general suspected of laxity.In this way, an invisible pressure is naturally generated.The atmosphere inside and outside the big tent unknowingly became dignified.The panic-stricken generals gradually restrained their original sloppiness and carelessness, each of them lowered their heads and held their breath, not daring to make any noise.In the end, the only sound left in front of the big tent was the sound of footsteps moving, armor scraping, and the roll call of one by one.After the last general had finished his visit and bowed back to the squad, the audience became silent, only the torches held high by the sergeants were heard crackling in the cold wind...

It was only then that Hong Chengchou nodded, a slight smile appeared on his tense face, then he stroked his beard hanging down to his chest, cleared his throat, and said: "Everyone, this time we will suppress the Hui bandits, thanks to my great Qing emperor, who has great blessings and good fortune, and because all the soldiers will use their lives bravely, especially Zhang Tianlu, the former admiral Zhang Tianlu, who commanded well and dispatched well--well, and Huang Shu Volunteering to go deep into the tiger's lair, thinking that the internal response, so the march went smoothly, Huizhou was broken with a drum, and the leader of the bandits, Jin Sheng, etc. were all captured. This is another great victory for our teacher after the pacification of Jiading and Jiangyin! Congratulations! The governor will definitely Please revise this as soon as possible, submit it to the imperial court, and apply for credit for everyone! Here, please accept the gift of the governor first!"

After finishing speaking, he really stood up, cupped his hands like a ceremony, and bowed deeply to everyone. Facing the majestic majesty of their superiors, the generals, who are reawakening to their own insignificance, were already deeply moved when they heard the words of commendation and wish, but unexpectedly, they were even more terrified when they received such a solemn salute. So they knelt down on one knee at the same time, and said in unison with enthusiasm: "Master Xie Zhongtang! The rank is willing to do my best!" "Well, please get up, please get up!" Hong Chengchou gestured again and again.After the generals stood up again, he looked around with a smile, then relaxed his body, leaned back on the chair, and began to inquire about the situation of advancing troops and defeating the enemy with a kind but serious attitude.Since the details had already been introduced by the sent Tang Bao and special envoy Huang Shu, he only asked a few questions about some things that were not clear enough.After getting a satisfactory answer, he turned the topic to the leaders of the captured rebel army—Jin Sheng, Jiang Tianyi, and Wu Yingji.Knowing that these people are quite stubborn and stubborn, and still have not expressed their willingness to surrender, he nodded his head, and stopped asking questions, but turned his eyes to the blazing red coal fire at his feet, and remained silent for a long time.It wasn't until his subordinates began to cast suspicious glances because of the long wait that he raised his head, looked at everyone, and said slowly:

"Just now, you vowed to do your best, which made me very grateful! There is one matter that I am still hesitating in my heart. I want to discuss it with you. Would you like to hear it?" This is obviously another question that surprised the generals.There was a moment of silence in the big tent, and then there was a booming answer: "I hope that only your lord will listen to you!" "Well, that's very good." Hong Chengchou stroked his beard, and then sat up straight, "This matter is not a big deal, and it's not a small thing—this governor was outside the city just now, and saw many people dragging their children with them, During the congested period, the situation was miserable. I asked my soldiers to enter the city to garrison, but because the city was too small to settle down, I had to drive them out. The governor thought: These people are the people of our Qing Dynasty. After the war, they survived. The situation is already very pitiful, not to mention that the weather is freezing right now, and they are suddenly driven to the wilderness with nowhere to live. Many people will die of freezing and starving. Our soldiers are the teachers of benevolence and righteousness. You should love the people like father and son brothers, so you can see your true colors. Why don't you stop clearing the city and let him go back to his old place? If so, the people in this side will definitely appreciate my kindness and fall in love with you. Even if our soldiers leave in the future, this place will never No worries of rebellion—what do you all think?"

When Hong Chengchou said these words, his tone was tactful, and there was a hint of discussion.Because he knew very well that it was already the beginning of winter and the weather was getting colder by the day. It was also a hard job for the soldiers to camp in the wild.What's more, after half a month of continuous marching and fighting, they suffered a lot and finally captured Huizhou. As usual, they should rest for a few days, and the food and accommodation should be better arranged as usual.Suddenly making such a decision now will inevitably cause disappointment and dissatisfaction.Even if the generals can figure it out, it may not be easy to convince their soldiers, let alone the generals may not be able to figure it out.However, Hong Chengchou decided that in order to win the hearts of the people, dispel hostility, and ensure that Huizhou would no longer become the source of rebellion, it was very necessary to deal with it in this way.Therefore, although he knew that the matter was a bit difficult for the soldiers, he still decided to bring it up.

At first, the generals probably thought that the governor wanted to discuss with them the matter of marching and fighting, so they readily agreed.When they found out that this was the case, as expected, you looked at me and I looked at you, showing astonishment and puzzlement, and for a while, no one said anything.There was an awkward silence in front of the big tent. "Well, how is it?" Hong Chengchou urged.As the leader of an army, he never put forward his own ideas easily.But once he raised it, he wouldn't go back easily. "Since your lord has an order, you should obey it!" Zhang Tianlu finally expressed his obedience first.He was originally the commander-in-chief of the Ming Dynasty, and he was under Shi Kefa's command before he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.It is obvious that Hong Chengchou has heard about Hong Chengchou's strict rule of the army, so he dare not raise objections.

Hong Chengchou nodded.As the front-line commander of this battle, Zhang Tianlu's attitude is naturally of great importance, and will have a wide-ranging influence on the generals.He was going to give a lot of compliments and then decide the matter.Unexpectedly, at this moment, a general suddenly stepped over his companions, strode out, folded his hands on his chest, and said loudly with an outside accent: "Lord Zhongtang, the general can't figure it out: the people in Huizhou city are all bandits and thugs. How dare they gather a crowd to make trouble, resist our military might, and injure our soldiers? It is a heinous crime! Don't slaughter them all , It’s already very cheap for him. Why let him live in the city, but let our soldiers of the three armies suffer and suffer outside the city? How can there be such a reason!”

Hong Chengchou frowned.By the light of the torch, he recognized this reckless general as Bardot.This person originally belonged to the Xianghong Banner Department that commanded Ye Chen. This time, in the attack on Huizhou, considering the lack of military strength of Zhang Tianlu's Department, he was temporarily dispatched to assist in the battle.Unexpectedly, relying on his special status, he openly opposed the stop of "clearing the city".This somewhat embarrassed Hong Chengchou.Indeed, if it was a general of the Han army instead, he would have no need to speak any more reason, and would just sternly dismiss him.If the opponent still dares to make a strong point, he can also be punished by military law.However, considering that Bardot is a Manchurian and one of Ye Chen's subordinates, Hong Chengchou really had to weigh a little more before reacting.What's more, it should be estimated that although Bardot is the leader, there are probably many generals who have the same idea as him, and too simple and tyrannical suppression will also make the army dissatisfied.For soldiers in charge, this also needs to be avoided.Therefore, after the initial annoyance passed, Hong Chengchou felt that he might as well use Bardot as an excuse to explain to everyone the reason why the city must be stopped.It's just that, with the honor of the governor, to argue with a general, but somewhat demeaning...

"Hey, what the general said is right." Just when Hong Chengchou was silent, someone suddenly said from the sidelines, "The people here really resisted our teacher before. But I think he is probably an ignorant commoner who was incited by the bandits. Being coerced by a thief, he was not a person who would never do evil. Now that he has surrendered, he is a courtier of the Qing Dynasty. My teacher should be lenient, not to blame the past, but treat them kindly, let them feel ashamed, and sincerely support them from now on. In this way, although our soldiers endure the cold and cold for a while, they will forever be spared the bloody battles of conquest and suppression, and the less we lose, the more we gain, so why not do it!"

The staff member who stood up to speak was Huang Shu.This man was indeed extremely clever.Once upon a time, on the way to Fucheng, he kept calling the people here "recalcitrant people". Now, he has accurately understood the mind of his superiors, and when Hong Chengchou felt hesitant, he lost no time in standing up Come out to defend the stop of Qingcheng.Although Hong Chengchou did not immediately express his approval out of prudence, he couldn't help but secretly nodded. However, although what Huang Shu said was euphemistic and pleasant, Bardot seemed to have not heard it, and he still stood upright, not even turning his eyes to him. Huang Shu blinked, wondering why this short, stocky Manchu general with small eyes was like this.He wanted to show his ability in front of Hong Chengchou, so he said patiently: "Is it possible that the general is worried that the soldiers under his command will complain? In fact, as long as we stick to this place and share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, we will prepare enough cold clothes, food and grass every day. Practice it as usual, not only will you stop complaining, but the soldiers will also feel more eager to fight. This is also a good way for the ancients to control soldiers! I wonder what the general thinks?" Who knows, Bardot is still silent. As a result, not only Huang Shu, but even Hong Chengchou, who was sitting on the tiger-skin chair, became strange.Because since he didn't want to lower his status to argue with Bardot, Huang Shu took the initiative to come forward, and he was a suitable opponent, and he also left room for the boss to maneuver.Unexpectedly, Bardot didn't say a word, but it made people confused whether this "tartar" felt that he was poor at words, or because of other reasons.However, as long as he keeps his mouth shut, things will be fine.So Hong Chengchou gave a "hmm" and said majesticly: "Badot has no different words, you can retreat quickly! Qingcheng..." Before he could finish speaking, Bardot, who was standing below, suddenly straightened his neck and said, "My lord, Bardot still has something to say!" Hong Chengchou was slightly taken aback, then frowned: "Well, Huang Shu spoke to you just now, but you didn't say a word. Now when the governor issued the order, you said something again. What's the reason?" "My lord, it's just because Bardot doesn't want to talk to him." "Don't be with him—Huang Shu? Why?" "It's all because he is a treacherous person, so Bardot should not talk to him." "A treacherous person? How do you see it?" "He and the guard in this city were originally friends, but this time he attacked the city, he was greedy for meritorious service and rewarded, so he deceived and sold his friend! This kind of low-level behavior is not what a man would do!" Hong Chengchou was startled again.In this siege, Huang Shu was able to enter the city and serve as the internal response of the Qing soldiers because of his old friendship with the leader of the rebel army, Jin Sheng.Moreover, this was planned by Hong Chengchou himself.Unexpectedly, he was accused by this Bardot of betraying his friends and acting despicably.However, as far as human morality is concerned, it seems that it is not easy to refute the other party at once.So, after a moment of silence, he had no choice but to say slowly: "Well, since Huang Shu is my courtier of the Qing Dynasty, he should be loyal to the Qing Dynasty. Besides, soldiers are deceitful. Deception and deceit are all there. It makes sense!" "It is reasonable to say that he lowered my Qing Dynasty, so it should be so, and this is true. But you must be honest to the end, shouldn't you come out now to point fingers and pretend to be a good person-is it his turn! Such a treacherous person People, only you Han people can say good things about him; if we are full of people, hum!" "Ok?" "Kick him out of the banner a long time ago, who will listen to him fart!" It was only after hearing this that Hong Chengchou understood the reason why Bardot ignored Huang Shu.He couldn't help but secretly smiled wryly.Because, not to mention what Huang Shu's intentions are when he comes out to argue, as far as he is concerned, he really feels that since he has already surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, and generally speaking, he still has the trust of the regent, then the only way to deal with it is by Heng Xia. With one heart, he stubbornly walked down this road; but on the other hand, he felt disgusted that these "barbarians" from outside the pass were uneducated and only knew how to kill by force and slaughter cities and towns at every turn. It was the same when Yangzhou was captured, and it was the same when Jiading and Jiangyin were captured. They didn't understand that in order to unify the world and make the emperor's foundation permanent, they must be good at combining grace and power, combining strength and softness, and trying their best to win the sincere support of the people.And the truth of this has long been explained very clearly in the classics of Chinese sages and sages.Because of this, he came here this time tirelessly to personally inspect and supervise the handling of the aftermath. Harm and destroy, in order to get a little comfort for the soul.However, in the eyes of the new master, is this also suspected of being "treacherous"?But it's really hard to say.Because after all, I was a demoted official of the former Ming Dynasty, and had "bad records" in fighting against the Qing Dynasty; a while ago, I was too enthusiastic to suggest that the emperor learn Chinese and read Chinese books, but was coldly denied by the regent... It is this kind of The sudden surge of suspicion and fear disturbed Hong Chengchou's tranquility and self-confidence.For a moment he just sat there dumbfounded, unable to utter a word. "...Any barbarian who dared to resist our Qing Dynasty should be slaughtered! Lord Baylor dealt with them in the same way in the previous Jiading and Jiangyin battles. Why should your lord be soft on them?" Bardot's arrogant voice rang in my ears again edge rings. As if stabbed suddenly, Hong Chengchou woke up.A feeling of being insulted - not only the dignity of being a superior, but also the dignity of the "royal way" he believed in, being insulted by stupidity and ignorance, made him furious; There were many subordinates standing there, all silently watching this scene, waiting to see how the coach would make a decision.So he gritted his teeth, suddenly lowered his face, and said sternly: "Nonsense! When the Governor was ordered to leave Beijing, the Holy Majesty issued a decree that he must do his best to publicize our Qing's moral intentions when he goes to the south of the Yangtze River this time, and abide by the imperial court's amnesty recently, so that the newly attached people will be rewarded with grace. Everything. We all put the peace and tranquility first, with the hope that the people will change, and the south will serve Yongjing. The governor is honored by the country, dare not do his best! This matter is settled like this. Anyone who dares to speak falsely and disobey orders will be dealt with by military law!" After a pause, he saw that the generals, including Bardot, all bowed their heads and held their breath for a while, not daring to make a sound. He waved his hand and said decisively: "Immediately order the three armies to release the civilians and stop moving camps!"