stubborn thief

Chapter 550
In the yamen of the Marshal's Mansion in Lanzhou City, Liu Chengzong was entertaining Li Hongsi who hurried over from Liangzhou.

Two days ago, Li Hongsi sent someone to hand over the letter of surrender to Cao Yao, who was guarding Gansu in the Marshal's Mansion. He thought he would get a warm welcome from the Marshal's Mansion, but he didn't expect Cao Yao to directly send troops to Wuwei Oasis, and cooperate with Feng Rubu's car battalion in Gulangxia Surrounded Liangzhou City.

The reason is that Li Hongsi's troops have too many demands for surrender.

The Liangzhou army surrendered due to the shortage of food and grass, but it was actually very troublesome to surrender. After all, it still retains combat effectiveness. Therefore, even though Cao Yao was granted full power in Gansu by Liu Chengzong, he was still numbed by Li Hongsi's request.

Among those requests, such as helping the people of Liangzhou and not plundering the city, Cao Yaoneng agreed. Anyway, there is no wealth, goods, soldiers and food in the city of Liangzhou. As for the relief of the people, it is Liu Chengzong's consistent proposition. There is nothing to say about this matter. of.

However, there were more than ten thousand troops in Liangzhou City earlier. After Cao Wenzhao was transferred to Ningxia, there were still seven thousand troops left in the city. I hope the Marshal's Mansion will allow them to take their armor and leave.

Whether it is [-] troops or [-] troops, whether it is an enemy army during a war or an army that surrendered after a war, it is not a small number.

Surrender, appeasement, resettlement, garrison, and military supplies are all troublesome things.

Cao Yao reported to Lanzhou in a letter, explaining the general situation of the surrender, and suggested that Li Hongsi should go to Lanzhou to have an audience first, and Gansu would take this opportunity to find out the surrender.

When Liu Chengzong saw this letter, he understood Cao Yao's complex feelings of fear, joy and importance for this surrendered army.

It is normal to be afraid of surrendering troops, and it is also normal to be happy about surrendering troops.

With the surrender of this army, the whole of Gansu fell into the hands of the Marshal's Mansion, and it was quite popular... The remaining [-] troops were all local frontier troops in Gansu, and the [-] left were all guests from Shaanxi. Army, half of which came from Li Hongsi's headquarters.

Li Hongsi withdrew from Ganzhou to Liangzhou, and his troops lost a lot. Some of them surrendered to the Marshal’s Mansion, and some became bandits, and finally withdrew to Liangzhou. There were not many troops left in his department. , Now that some of them are withdrawn, they will naturally be a deputy commander-in-chief without a headquarters.

Such a person surrenders at ease.

But it's not normal to pay attention to surrendering the army. Why should you pay attention to the defeated generals?

However, after reading the list sent by Cao Yao, Liu Chengzong felt: Hmm...it's not unreasonable to pay attention to it.

This brings together the entire [-] troops that retreated eastward during the Gansu War. The number of officers is too high. There are only five participating generals, including Zhao Zhirui, Lin Chengdong, Sheng Lue, Fang Maogong, and Li Changling. .

Liu Chengzong was stunned when he saw this number. Gansu Town has four generals guarding the town, namely, Suzhou General Zhao Zhirui, Ganzhou General Lin Chengdong, Zhuanglang General Lu Yunchang, and Liangzhou General during the war. Liu Shaozong, the deputy commander in chief, he even fought... No, Liu Shaozong didn't fight, but he also wrote letters in the city of Liangzhou, which counts as dealing with him.

Among them, Lu Yunchang was beaten away, and Liu Shaozong was besieged in the city. He is not on the surrender list at the moment, and he seems to be planning to go to Ningxia; also not on the list is Xiang Xiyin, who is also a veteran, often He joined forces with Liu Shaozong to fight, and was a martial arts scholar from Puzhou, Shanxi.

Except for these four, the rest are the generals of the general army and the governor's subordinates, but the general of Yang Jiamo's side is Chai Shihua, who has gone to the west, even if Bai Yiqing's governor's standard battalion is added, there shouldn't be so many General.

It was not until Li Hongsi arrived in Lanzhou that this doubt was solved for Liu Chengzong.

"The three of them used to be generals, and they were all from Gansu when they served as officials until 55 a few years ago. This time the commander-in-chief attacked the east, and the three generals recruited the old servants again to serve in the army."

When Li Hongsi talked about these three people, he felt regretful, and said: "However, when they were effective, the general had already captured Ganzhou, and it was difficult for Liangzhou to counterattack, so I was tortured in the city for nine months." Sin, down."

The official system in the Ming Dynasty was the earliest in the Yuan Dynasty at the age of 70. The age was relaxed to 55 in the Zhu Yuanzhang era, and the age was relaxed to [-] in the Xiaozong era. , Above the third rank, the original official salary is given, and below the fourth rank, the salary is given to the first rank.

The so-called official status means that they still retain their status as officials after they have become officials. It is a very face-saving thing to increase their rank and upgrade. For example, if someone's epitaph says that he has commanded colleagues from the second rank, he will actually retire. The former official position is most likely to be a third-rank commander or commander.

Therefore, Liu Chengzong's attack on Gansu was fatal to the three retired old men. They had to fight for their retirement wages.

One of the most important missions of Li Hongsi's visit this time was to ask for the three of them that the Marshal's Mansion didn't care about Daming's senior officials.

Liu Shizi was overjoyed when he heard this. You have sacrificed your blood for Daming and worked for a lifetime. I want retirement wages here, right?
He was worrying about food and grass, and the [-] people in Liangzhou City had to take care of it. According to the disaster relief food standard of three buckets per month for big mouths and one bucket and five liters for small mouthfuls, the supply of food for six months was nearly [-] stone grains.

As for the [-] soldiers in Liangzhou, even if they were all supplied with half the rations for the auxiliary soldiers, the rations for the soldiers would still be [-] stone rations for a year, and this low standard of raising soldiers would definitely reduce the soldiers' physical fitness a lot after one year.

At such a time, Li Hongsi ran over to talk to Liu Chengzong about supporting the retired old man of the Ming army, but Liu Shizi didn't even want to talk to him.

"The salaries of the three of them are enough for me to support three brigades of soldiers. If you have the ability, move your family to Hehuang and become a military trainer for me. I am willing to give them the position of a thousand commanders. After a few years of training, you can train a few battalions." Soldiers." Liu Chengzong raised his hand and pointed to the sky: "In a few years, the weather will be good, and I will allow them to become officials at the third rank."

"If you don't have the ability, you can rest at home as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Li Hongsi felt a little relieved, and quickly cupped his fists to salute, "Then I would like to thank the Commander for his kindness on behalf of the three old generals."

The three veteran generals who joined the army during the Wanli period must have all the skills, and military training is no problem. He is just worried that Liu Chengzong will ignore them. Now that he has said that he will be awarded the position of Qian Zong, even if the official position is a little lower, he is still an official recognized by the Marshal's Mansion. .

The most important thing is that you don't need to send troops to fight, you are just a military trainer, which is the safest treatment for generals.

"I have to work."

Liu Chengzong waved his hand and turned to look at Li Hongsi: "The three of them will not talk about it. You, Lin Chengdong, and Zhao Zhirui can continue to be officials and generals in Ningxia, and you are not leaving?"

These are all high-ranking generals who participated in the tour with the Vice President of Gansu.

Li Hongsi shook his head, his face was as usual, but his heart was bitter, he opened his mouth and paused before saying: "Gansu, it's too far away."

He fought for Ming Dynasty all his life, conquering east and west, and never considered surrendering. Even if Liu Chengzong was in power in Gansu, he never thought about it, because his military career was too busy, and he died if he was not careful, so he had no chance to think about it. West.

Until being trapped in Liangzhou for nine months, nine months is too long, it is so long that grass grows in people's hearts, even he can't help but think about the way forward-naturally no results of thinking, the future is very bleak.

He surrendered to the Marshal's Mansion, not because the military supplies were exhausted, but because he was the only commander and deputy commander in Gansu. If he really died in this war, maybe another emperor would set up an altar to sacrifice , but if they go back alive, the blame for the fall of Gansu will definitely be on their backs, and life will be worse than death.

However, Zhao Zhirui, Lin Chengdong and others had different reasons for surrendering to the Marshal's Mansion.

In order to fight against Liu Chengzong, they were defeated again and again. So many people died. They retreated to the city of Liangzhou to fortify the walls and clear the fields. They starved for nine months and tried their best to raise food. Killed them all, waiting for the imperial reinforcements to launch a counterattack: for what?
Because Liu Chengzong is a rebel and an enemy; and because Governor Hong Chengchou said that they are defending Liangzhou and will counterattack this spring.

No matter how far away Gansu is, more than 270 days, even if it only travels fifteen miles a day, even if the reinforcements are in Fujian, they should have come over.

Well, Gansu is too far away and there are no reinforcements.

But last year after Jin entered Kou Xuanda, the Marshal's Mansion sent troops, and sent troops at the invitation of the court, and sent troops through Ningxia without any surprises or dangers.

Until He Huchen went to the city of Liangzhou to ask them to fight against the Eastern captives, no one believed the soldiers on the city. Gansu is so far away, and the reinforcements from the imperial court can't get through. How could you go to Xuanda?

But they did go, the reinforcements from Qinghai went to the Xuanda defense line, and the reinforcements from Jizhen also went to the Xuanda defense line. The whole counterattack was fought beautifully, but what does that have to do with Gansu?
To be honest, even Liu Chengzong couldn't bear to hear the words "Gansu is too far away" from Li Hongsi himself. Of course he knew what it meant: Gansu is too far away from Beijing, they are the ones who were abandoned, Even, the one who was betrayed.

"The imperial court uses troops everywhere, just when the eastern captives are invading, and they don't care about Gansu... Alas."

This was not said by Li Hongsi, but by Liu Chengzong. He sighed and said: "Things are difficult, I am not comforting you, and I cannot comfort you. Many generals in Gansu are willing to defect to me. I am too happy, but I just don't want to lie. you."

Liu Chengzong said to Li Hongsi: "The Ming army fought against my Monan Governor's Mansion outside the border of Xuanda. They also fought a few battles in Ningxia. They are not betraying you."

Li Hongsi was in a low mood before, but when he heard Liu Chengzong say that, he was immediately amused. It was really hard for him to guess what kind of identity Liu Shizi used to comfort him, so he couldn't help laughing, and then he restrained his smile and said seriously: "The commander-in-chief doesn't need to comfort me. I am a guest army from Shaanxi, and they are from Gansu."

It was precisely because Li Hongsi was a guest army that he could more objectively see the emptiness and weakness of the imperial court in the northwest, and... In the eyes of the imperial court, the northwest could not be compared with Beizhili and Liaodong at all.

Thinking of this, he shook his head helplessly, and then raised his spirits and said to Liu Chengzong: "Commander, I have a request, I hope the commander will grant you permission."

"You speak first."

"The commander-in-chief also knows the current situation in Shaanxi. Can the commander-in-chief allow the two thousand soldiers who want to leave to leave with Liu Shaozong and his soldiers?"

"Leave with armor?"

Liu Chengzong pondered for a while, then shook his head slowly.

Seeing this, Li Hongsi hurriedly said: "They left the guns behind, and only carried armored uniforms, bows, knives and six arrows. Commander, you must bring something with you."

Leave the guns?

Liu Chengzong couldn't hold back, turned his head and couldn't help smiling, the ancestor of Liu Shaozong was Liu Sheng, a hundred-family guard of Yanshan during the Yongle period, who made great achievements as Marquis of Anyuan and established the world's first standing artillery unit, the Shenji Battalion.

Letting the army led by him leave guns behind is to leave everything that belonged to the ancestors.

However, Liu Shizi didn't care about these things. With the development of the Riyueshan Arsenal, the newly-made ordnance has satisfied the field battalions of the Marshal's Mansion, and the installed guns are also free from the influence of the Ming army's standard firearms. It's just better than nothing, so that recruits can carry more firearms during training.

In comparison, the armor is more useful, but the number of two thousand soldiers who left with Liu Shaozong is not large, and the armor they carry is not very large, and it is also dispensable to him.

He didn't let the two thousand troops carry armor, but he just wanted to save their lives, or save the lives of others.

Liu Shizi thought about this matter very clearly. If those defeated soldiers did not surrender to him, they had only two choices: either go to Ningxia with Liu Shaozong, or leave the army and return to Shaanxi.

To go to Ningxia is to surrender to the enemy. The maximum Liu Chengzong can tolerate is to let them go to Ningxia empty-handed, and let Hong Chengchou prepare armor and food for them;

He remembers clearly the fact that the Ming army was defeated in the Hehuang War and was hunted and killed by the people in the Hehuang Valley with their armor.

Weapons and armor are very attractive to the rural people. Without weapons, there is no desire to kill. If there is no desire to kill, they will choose a safer way to return home, or simply choose to go to Ningxia.

On the other hand, if there are soldiers and twenty veterans form a team, they can drive dozens or even hundreds of rogues and civilians to kill. Shaanxi is almost deserted. No matter who kills whom, it is a situation that Liu Chengzong does not like to see .

These defeated soldiers who lost confidence in Liangzhou stayed in the army in Ningxia and dragged Hong Chengchou down. This is the best choice in Liu Chengzong's eyes-so they cannot carry weapons.

So he said earnestly: "There is no need to discuss this matter again, so the armaments must be kept. I will give them food for ten days, and I will do my best."

"But Commander, without weapons to defend yourself, the beasts you encounter on the road can eat them."

"Bastard? Li Zongbing, my Ming court has a lot of abuses, and there are indeed many officials who are dead and vegetarian, but you are too underestimating my Ming army."

Liu Shizi looked at Li Hongsi and said with a smile: "It's okay for them. Cutting wood into soldiers will not be eaten by animals. In this way, for the sake of the township party, I asked Governor Cao to send Liu Shaozong [-] spears. , one hundred guard bows and six hundred arrows, enough for them to return home safely."

Li Hongsi has nothing to say. Liu Chengzong expressed his meaning very clearly. If 2000 people are given [-] long spears and [-] guard bows, that is to tell him clearly that he will not provide any fighting power for that army. thing.

More than one foot is a spear, and those who form a large formation to fight a big battle, and below one foot are guns. The bow of the Weisuo is actually a bow made by the archer of the Banner Army himself. The bow strength is generally about forty catties.

Just then, Zhang Yichuan came.

　good afternoon!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)