The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Zhang Xianzhong rushed to central Sichuan, and his threat to Hanzhong Mansion was naturally lifted.

So at the beginning of the first month, Chen Wang received a new order from Yang Sichang.

Yang Sichang gave him a new task - to wipe out the entire Kingdom Kingdom Ningbu entrenched in Zhu and Fangshan Districts in the south of Yunyang within three months.

The two battalions of Chen Gong and Zhou Yumao still stayed in Hanzhong Mansion, asking them to be on guard against the rogue bandits in Shaanxi and to protect the safety of Hanzhong Mansion and King Rui.

After all, Li Zicheng's threat was indeed real, although Li Zicheng only launched a few tentative attacks on Hanzhong Mansion after occupying Feng County.

But because of the presence of King Rui in Hanzhong Mansion, Yang Sichang naturally did not dare to gamble.

The loss of a vassal family is no small fault.

Therefore, even if the suppression of bandits is urgent, Yang Sichang is still unwilling to relax the defense in Hanzhong Mansion.

When he received Yang Sichang's new order, Chen Wang already understood what Yang Sichang was going to do.

Yang Sichang asked him to wipe out Wang Guoning in order to completely eliminate the threat of rogue bandits to Yunyang Mansion.

After Luo Rucai annihilated Yang Shien and Luo Anbang's troops in Yiling, he retreated to the mountainous areas in the north of Xingshan and Guizhou.

When the two of them split up their forces in eastern Sichuan, they planned to disperse their pursuers and then reunite.

In the past, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai cooperated many times when they were running around.

However, the plan failed to keep up with the change. Qin Liangyu led his troops to Wanxian County, blocking Zhang Xianzhong's return eastward. Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong took the risk and attacked Bazhou instead.

Yang Sichang is now dispatching troops and generals everywhere, raising troops and mass troops, and surrounding them on three sides in the mountainous areas of Tao Xing and Gui, in order to wipe out Luo Rucai first, and the deadline is three months.

Yang Sichang's purpose was very clear, which was to quell the rebellion in Huguang within two months and hand over a good result to Chongzhen.

Just when the encirclement and suppression campaign in Huguang was in full swing.

The situation in Shaanxi also began to become more and more tense as the governor of the three sides, Zheng Chongjian, led the troops.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the first day after the Lantern Festival, Zheng Chongjian gathered the generals in Xi'an and joined forces from three sides, totaling more than 40,000 troops.

With Zu Dabi, He Renlong, Li Guoqi and others as generals, three groups of soldiers and horses entered Sichuan and Shaanxi to suppress the rogue bandits.

Li Guoqi led eight thousand troops, marched from Chunhua to Qiutou Town, and went north to the Qing Dynasty to annihilate Qingyang Prefecture.

He Renlong led 13,000 troops, marched from Pizhou to Jingzhou, and marched westward to the Qing Dynasty to annihilate Pingliang Prefecture.

Zheng Chongjian, the governor of the three sides, personally led Zu Dabi and other generals, and led 20,000 troops, from Xingping to Fufeng, and to the west to clear Fengxiang Mansion.

Qin Fu Ding Qirui led the remaining troops to guard Xi'an Mansion, wipe out the remaining thieves and bandits in the mansion, and protect the Qin vassal.

The news that Zheng Chongjian led troops into Shaanxi could not be concealed from Li Zicheng, who was stirring up trouble in Shaanxi at this time. He was facing the Ming army that was advancing from three directions.

Li Zicheng also spread the word to all directions, constantly tightening the defense line, constantly mobilizing troops and horses, and moved closer to Zhangjiachuan in Gongchang Prefecture. He seemed to be preparing to use Zhangjiachuan's favorable terrain to decide the outcome with the Ming army.

According to Tang News, Li Zicheng had 5,000 elite cavalry, more than 10,000 horsemen, and more than 30,000 infantry and hungry people under his command.

Those who stayed in Long'an Prefecture in northern Sichuan had more than 20,000 infantry, more than 3,000 horse troops, and about 3,000 elite cavalry.

After several months of fighting and development, the total strength of Li Zicheng's forces has exceeded 70,000.

Although this number is much less than when Li Zicheng was at the peak.

But in terms of combat power alone, the combat power of Li Zicheng's troops now is much higher than in the past.

Luo Rucai and Zhang Xianzhong had already abandoned the strategy of coercing hungry soldiers, and Li Zicheng also did not use it anymore.

Shaanxi was also affected by the disaster this year. As the famine moved southward, Gongchang and Fengxiang, which were originally relatively well-off, were severely affected.

After Li Zicheng left Shaanxi, he broke into prefectures and counties and opened warehouses to provide food relief, attracting countless people to follow him.

Li Zicheng selected the best among them and trained them as infantry. He used the nine-sided method to organize the troops and train his troops.

Taking advantage of the wars in Henan, Huguang, and Sichuan, Li Zicheng led his troops to sweep through the guard posts outside Fengxiang, Gongchang, and Pingliang.

There are very few armors stored in these guards, but they have a large number of weapons, especially spears.

Li Zicheng defeated the two guards of Xi'an Prefecture and confiscated a large number of firearms.

These firearms were produced during Sun Chuanting's renovation of the health center during his tenure. Most of the firearms produced are suitable for use, and they are not the inferior goods produced by the Ministry of Industry that cut corners.

Li Zicheng therefore formed a pure firearms force, and also concentrated large-scale artillery training into a team.

But even so, Li Zicheng only had more than 40,000 soldiers and horses in Shaanxi, which was only the same number as the Ming army that invaded and suppressed, and its combat power was still far inferior to that of the Ming army that invaded and suppressed.

Zu Dabi and He Renlong are both brave generals. Both of them have the same reputation as madmen. The only difference is that Zu Dabi gained his reputation outside the pass, while He Renlong gained it inside the pass.

Although Li Guoqi is mediocre, he is also a general and has some skills. Although he is not as good as those above, he is still more than below.

A three-pronged attack, while Li Zicheng clung to the isolated city, there seemed to be no suspense about the outcome...

The current situation makes Chen Wang more and more confused. The inspection office was established not long ago, and due to its own limitations, it can only be hidden in the dark.

In many cases, the only channels for delivering news are caravans, escort agencies, etc., which are naturally inferior to Pegasus Express.

Therefore, the information that Chen Wang can obtain is extremely limited. Currently, only the information from Yunyang and Hanzhong can be obtained quickly. Information from the surrounding prefectures is basically delayed for a long time, and the information is not complete. .

As for prefectures and prefectures that are not bordering Henan, Shaanxi, South Zhili, Sichuan, etc., the supervisory office has not touched the villages and counties yet.

His eyes were almost completely dark, and he could only rely on the newspaper sent by the court to get some information.

Therefore, whether it was Zhang Xianzhong or Li Zicheng's situation, Chen Wang only knew a rough idea.

The situation of Li Yan and the fifth Gezuo Battalion currently located in Ying and Huoshan Mountains in southern Zhili is even more ambiguous.

……

Between the mountains, the sound of drums fills the sky.

On the mountain road, there are densely waving red flags, and as far as you can see, there are moving heads.

The deafening shouts came in waves, rushing towards Chen Wang like a sea tide.

Chen Wang naturally had to obey Yang Sichang's military orders.

Although Chen Wang has now reached the pinnacle of military officials, the commander-in-chief of the imperial seal, and the control of soldiers and horses in various towns, he still has no way to get rid of all the checks and balances, and he does not have enough power to influence the situation.

What Chen Wang can do now is to make the best of the situation.

The reason why he is now able to control the military power of Hanzhong Prefecture and Yunyang Prefecture is that he enjoys the right to independently deploy troops and control each town.

All this was done with the help of Yang Sichang, the prime minister and governor.

King Qin's reputation and Cao Wenzhao's recommendation made Yang Sichang choose to hand over General Pingthief to him when he went south to supervise the army.

His previous deeds and reputation as a loyal minister prevented the court from having any suspicion about him.

And because of his outstanding military exploits, Chen Wang was able to sit firmly in the land of Han and Yun.

The land of Han and Yun is of great importance and must be guarded by a strong general.

Soldiers and horses from various camps and towns have been constantly running around in the past few months, such as Zuo Liangyu and He Renlong.

In the past few months, they had almost no time to rest. They were either fighting the rebellion or on the way to fight the rebellion. They couldn't get any respite at all.

But soon, Chen Wang may have to live such a life.

Chen Wang raised his head and looked at the mountains not far away. The black flags were waving on the mountains, and the heart-rending shouts of killing were coming from them.

This is the mountainous area in the south of Zhushan and Fang County. It is also the last stronghold of the Seventy-two Battalion Bandits and Wang Guoning, the King of the Whole World.

Chen Wang spent a month and a half gradually shrinking the encirclement net, forcing the bandits hiding in Zhu and Fang Mountains into this desperate area.

The mountain ridge where Wang Guoning is now is surrounded from all sides.

Wang Guoning originally had more than 10,000 soldiers and horses under his command, but now there are only more than 2,000 men left. At this time, they are engaged in a battle between trapped beasts, and their destruction is only a matter of time.

Chen Wang stood on the slope in the north of the mountain, where he could directly see the location of Wang Guoning's camp.

Zhao Huailiang put his knife on his hips and led a group of armored soldiers to guard Chen Wang's side.

Hu Zhili was left in Xing'an City by Chen Wang. Hu Zhili was also in charge of the Military Law Department and had a lot to do in supervision.

Because of this, Hu Zhili is gradually retreating behind the scenes, so naturally he did not participate in this siege.

Chen Wang's bodyguards totaled about a hundred cavalry, many of whom were from the Chen and Hu clans, and the rest were selected from the original Liao cavalry.

The 1,000th Cavalry Headquarters is considered a direct department, and Chen Wang always takes the 1,000th Cavalry Headquarters with him wherever he goes.

Therefore, Zhao Huailiang, as the First Cavalry Thousand Headquarters, is naturally responsible for guarding.

In addition to Zhao Huailiang and a group of armored soldiers, Kang Ruiwu, the commander of the Yunyang Guard, and Ma Yuying, a guerrilla of the local soldiers, were also on the slope.

This time to encircle and suppress Wang Guoning, Chen Wang naturally not only led the troops from his own camp.

After Chen Gong left, he had only 5,000 soldiers and horses under his command. Counting the two battalions of Zhang Er and Huang Long, as well as 3,000 local soldiers, there were only more than 11,000 people, which was not enough to surround the mountain.

Therefore, Chen Wang also recruited 8,000 Huguang soldiers stationed in Zhu and Fang.

Chen Hongfan, who originally led the army, resigned due to illness, and then there was no one to lead the army under Chen Hongfan. It was now directly under Chen Wangjie's control.

The commander of the Yunyang Guards, Kang Ruiwu, was here because he was recruited by Chen Wang.

However, Chen Wang transferred Kang Ruiwu here not because of the more than a thousand soldiers and horses under his command.

To be honest, Chen Wang is now considered to have a big family and a big business, so he naturally looks down on the two thousand weak soldiers of Yunyang Guard.

The main reason is that Chen Wang plans to open several businesses in Yunyang City and set up a bodyguard agency at the same time.

In addition to serving as a cover for the surveillance office, there is also the need to earn money and find channels to buy and sell goods.

Bringing Kang Ruiwu over this time can actually be regarded as an exchange of interests.

Fenrun's past military exploits were used in exchange for Kang Ruiwu, a local snake, for help in Yunyang City.

Kang Ruiwu stood a little farther away from Chen Wang, standing together with Zhao Huailiang.

Ma Yuying and Chen Wang were standing very close. At this time, Ma Yuying was pointing to the mountains in the distance and explaining to Chen Wang.

"There are many different places on the mountainous and flat ground. Your armor is too thick and inflexible. It is really powerful on the plains, and it is okay on the hills. But such thick armor will not work on the mountains."

The Northland is in chaos and the situation is complicated. Moreover, Chen Wang's base is now in Hanzhong, and there is another one who took the opportunity to control most of the Yunyang Prefecture through the suppression campaign, which is within the scope of the Southern Kingdom.

Among the southern countries.

The southwest mountains are densely forested and the roads are difficult to navigate.

The southeast is surrounded by rolling hills and dense river networks.

Although the situation on the southeast coast is not as complicated as that in the north, the interests involved are too great. Now the Zheng Zhilong family dominates the internal and external seas.

And because of geographical problems, it is not suitable as a place to build a business.

With a ten-year army and a century-old navy, developing to the southeast is not a good path, so Chen Wang is now planning to take the southwest first.

The biggest obstacle to taking the southwest is the intricate terrain.

Although Shaanxi also has mountains, they are different from the mountains in the southwest, and the terrain is not as complicated as the southwest.

Mountain warfare and plain warfare are two completely different aspects. This time, in the encirclement and suppression of Wang Guoning, Chen Wang was based on Ma Yuanshan's strategy.

Facts have proved that Ma Yuanshan, as a native mountain man, has rich experience in fighting in the mountains.

Following Ma Yuanshan, Chen Wang did learn a lot of skills and tactics.

Ma Yuanshan is now commanding the army on the front line to suppress the attack, while Ma Yuying stayed behind to answer relevant questions for Chen Wang.

"What's wrong with heavy armor?"

Chen Wang frowned slightly and asked.

"Although it is indeed inconvenient to move with heavy armor in the mountains, in many battles on mountain roads, the battlefield can only accommodate a few people to move. Isn't the better the armament, the greater the advantage?" Ma Yuying basically uses light armor.

Chen Wang had learned some of the reasons why heavy armor was not used in the south. Generally speaking, it was a climate problem. The humidity and heat in summer would make soldiers wearing heavy armor miserable, and the humid climate would cause heavy armor. A is difficult to maintain and cannot be stored for a long time.

But when it comes to actual combat, Chen Wang still feels that heavy armor is better than light armor, even in mountains.

Because the attack on Sanshan Camp in Gongchang Mansion, the battle of Qingshan Pass by King Qin, and the siege of Chang Guoan all relied on heavy armor to destroy the camp and the stronghold.

"We only consider combat and do not consider issues other than maintenance. Why doesn't heavy armor have an advantage over light armor?"

"The main town is aware of maintenance and other issues, which proves that the main town also has a certain understanding of us and the south,"

Ma Yuying nodded, and then shook her head.

"The main town is talking about its advantages. Heavy armor and thick armor do have great advantages in this regard."

"If you want to break the camp immediately, destroy the camp and destroy the stronghold, it is indeed easier to use heavy armor."

The victory at Qingshan Pass was widely publicized, how could Ma Yuying not know about it.

"In mountainous areas with low terrain, heavy armor can indeed be better than light armor, but in places with dangerous terrain, the advantage of heavy armor is actually not greater than light armor."

"Heavy armor cannot stop the rolling logs and rocks rolling down from the mountains and main roads."

Whether it hits it directly or knocks it off the cliff, it can kill people.

"Wearing heavy armor makes it inconvenient to move around. Not only does it not provide much protection, but it is too late to hide when faced with rolling logs and rocks. If you wear light armor, you still have time to react."

"And the most important thing is the issue of physical strength."

"If we only fight for an hour or two, we must wear heavy armor, just like the headquarters is at Qingshan Pass."

"But we are in the south, and the battle will definitely not last for an hour or two. Climbing mountains is much more tiring than on flat ground. If you wear heavy armor, you will collapse from exhaustion without the enemy soldiers fighting."

Ma Yuying explained it very comprehensively. Chen Wang had led troops in wars for many years and had the knowledge of later generations, so he easily understood the advantages and disadvantages between the two.

The reason why I had doubts before was also because of the experience of previous battles, which led to my temporary misunderstanding.

"It makes sense."

"Mountain warfare is indeed very different from plain warfare."

Many things can be drawn by analogy and inferences can be drawn from one instance to another.

Chen Wang moved his eyes, looked at the soldiers walking swiftly on the mountain road, and smiled.

"The advantage of the short bow you use is that it shoots quickly, but the disadvantage is that it can't shoot very far and it's not powerful enough. This is a disadvantage in the plains, but it is an advantage in the mountains."

"Most of the enemies are wearing light armor or no armor. The power of the short bow is sufficient. The mountain road is winding and the range of the bow and arrow is not high. In many cases, the distance is very close. At this time, whoever is faster will have the advantage."

"Sure enough, the name is true. It is natural for the main town to win the victory over Qingshan Pass."

A slight smile also appeared on Ma Yuying's face, but the smile was fleeting.

In the Ming Dynasty, all men would grow beards. At first, Chen Wang was confused as to why Ma Yuying didn't grow a beard, thinking it was some custom of Shizhu Xuanwei Division.

Later, there was some speculation.

Not long ago, Chen Wangcai learned the inside story from Ma Yuanshan.

In the Bizka Xuanwei Division in Shizhu and other places, there were many examples of female generals commanding troops, as well as female cave masters and leaders.

Qin Liangyu and his father Ma Qiancheng led the troops into battle.

Qin Liangyu's daughter-in-law Zhang Fengyi also led the army as a general and rose to the rank of serving general.

In the sixth year of Chongzhen's reign, Zhang Fengyi's entire army was wiped out in Houjiazhuang due to fighting alone.

After Qin Liangyu took command of Shizhu and took over as the Xuanwei Envoy, the proportion of female generals increased.

In Shizhu and other chieftain sequences, there are many cases where husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and siblings are the generals.

Ma Yuanshan and Ma Yuying are brother and sister, and they are branches of the Ma family. The clan is quite powerful in the local area, so the two can act as guerrillas.

More than four years have passed since the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign. After this year, Chen Wang himself will be thirty years old.

Not marrying a wife at this age was considered very late in the Ming Dynasty, but it was normal for the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, especially the soldiers of the late Ming Dynasty.

Because of the turmoil of the current situation, they had to follow the army to fight everywhere. There was no way to settle down. Marrying a wife and having children was often just a luxury.

Unlike the rogue bandits who could bring their families, the Ming army could not bring their families. Even when Zuo Liangyu was in the early and mid-term, his family members stayed behind.

It was not until the subsequent development and expansion of the empire that one side was separated from another, that Zuo Liangyu took his family to join the army.

At this time of year, most of them are constantly entering the camps and towns to suppress troops. Only middle- and senior-level officers above the rank of general are able to marry and live in peace, and they also gather less and leave more.

The reason why the original person never married a wife before was mainly because he kept moving to war.

The reason why Chen Wang didn't marry a wife later was largely because he kept fighting and didn't have much free time.

In the past four years, the only real free time was the period when I served as Tongzhi in Hanzhong Wei, which was truly a stable time.

In the turbulent era of the late Ming Dynasty, stability was actually a luxury. Many generals of the Ming army were defeated and died because of their travels and exhaustion.

When he was in Hanzhong Wei, Chen Wang did know that he should marry a wife as soon as possible. He knew very well that as a leader, the difference and influence between having heirs and having no heirs was huge.

But precisely because of this, Chen Wang cannot marry a wife casually.

When he was in Hanzhong Mansion, many people really wanted to recruit him as their son-in-law, even though it meant that the court was a noble man and a weak man.

But at that time, Chen Wang had just captured and beheaded Gao Yingxiang, the king of Chuang, and was in the limelight. He was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the guard, and he became prominent for a while.

Although Wu Qing was considered a low-ranking official, it was still considered a high position in the entire society compared to civil servants.

However, Chen Wang chose to refuse after repeated consideration.

Because the reforms he carried out in Hanzhongwei at that time were based on Sun Chuanting's power, many things could not be resisted scrutiny after a closer look. He had to reduce his sense of existence.

If you marry someone who has a certain influence in Hanzhong Mansion, it will definitely attract some attention.

Since Liaodong lost control, the imperial court has become increasingly strict with local military commanders.

Therefore, Chen Wang ultimately did not choose to marry at that time because the risks and benefits were not proportional.

Later, with the intensity of the war and the heavy military affairs, this matter was gradually forgotten by Chen Wang.

It wasn't until he was rewarded by King Qin in the capital that he thought about it again.

But for so long, I still haven't met any suitable candidate.

Several companies in Xing'an and Yun County had extended invitations to Chen Wang, and Chen Wang also went to banquets with several companies, but it was just an intention and he did not accept the invitation.

Most marriages in this era are like this, and there is almost no free love.

And as you stand higher up, you actually feel more restrained.

Ma Yuying has bright eyes, is armed and dressed up heroically, and has profound military insights, which makes Chen Wang look askance at her.

"There is no specialization in theory, and there is no end to learning. I still have a lot to learn."

Chen Wang withdrew his gaze, returned to the battle situation, and said modestly.

He thought a lot in an instant, and the first thing he considered was what impact this would have.

After all, he is now in a high position, and his current position of power has the official seal of General Heping and the reputation of King Qin.

Chen Wang is actually on the cusp of a storm now.

"There is no specialization in theory, and there is no end to learning..."

Although Ma Yuying is a woman, both men and women are required to enroll in social studies in their clan and learn both native and Chinese cultures.

Therefore, Ma Yuying could understand the profound meaning, and her evaluation of Chen Wang couldn't help but be higher and she praised it.

"The general town is not only outstanding in martial arts, but also rich in literary talent. The profound meaning in his words has benefited people a lot."

Perhaps it has something to do with being in the military camp for a long time, or maybe it's because of the influence of Shizhu customs. Ma Yuying has always been straightforward in her words and actions.

"It's just a little insight..."

In the middle of his words, Chen Wang suddenly turned his head and looked to the side. He saw an order riding a war horse coming quickly through the mountain road. Before the men and horses arrived, the sound of horse hooves had already arrived.

The horseman galloped all the way from a distance, rolled his saddle and dismounted when he came near, and trotted all the way to the front, and then was stopped by Zhao Huailiang, who was guarding the side.

The letter in his hand was delivered to Chen Wang through Zhao Huailiang.

Ma Yuying and Kang Ruiwu, who were standing aside, looked at Chen Wang curiously at this time, wanting to know what happened.

And their doubts were soon answered.

"Wang Guoning couldn't hold it any longer, so he sent me a petition to surrender."

Chen Wang handed the letter back to Zhao Huailiang.

Wang Guoning's desire to surrender was not too surprising to Chen Wang. After all, it was indeed the end of the line. During the encirclement and suppression, Chen Wang sent an envoy to Zhao'an.

With this layer of foreshadowing, Wang Guoning's surrender is only a matter of time.

For being able to hold on until now before surrendering, Wang Guoning is actually doing quite well.

"We have already reached this point. If Wang Guoning wants to surrender, he is thinking too well."

Kang Ruiwu snorted coldly. Zhao'an's credit was much lower than that of capturing and killing him. Naturally, he was more inclined to directly annihilate Wang Guoning.

"The rogue bandits are cunning. They surrendered several times and then rebelled again. If you want to order peace, you must think twice."

Ma Yuying said she should think twice, but in fact she also agreed to directly eliminate Wang Guoning to avoid future troubles.

But Chen Wang's ideas are of course different from those of Ma Yuying and Kang Ruiwu.

"If we do not accept surrender, the rogue bandits will fight stubbornly, and the troops attacking the mountain will inevitably suffer a lot of casualties."

"Since Wang Guoning is willing to surrender, there is no harm in accepting his surrender."

Chen Wang is not worried about surrendering and rebelling again. He has beaten Wang Guoning to his heart a few times.

Wang Guoning is now very afraid of him. When he saw his flag several times before, Wang Guoning ran away as fast as a mouse.

Moreover, the main reason why the rogue bandits kept surrendering and revolting was because the arrangements made by Zhao'an of the Ming Dynasty were too outrageous.

The Ming court was obviously aware of this, so after Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai rebelled, the Ming court's arrangement was to recruit the bandits who surrendered again, and the generals responsible for recruiting them would temporarily control them.

Liu Guoneng, who broke into the falling sky, Li Wanqing who shot the falling sky, and Xu Bian, the king of the new world, and many other former bandits are now taking orders under Zuo Liangyu.

From the time he went south, Chen Wang's preparation was to follow the path that Zuo Liangyu took in history.

Relying on Hanzhong Mansion alone to raise troops, it can only raise 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers and horses at most.

Ten to twenty thousand soldiers and horses are completely insufficient to cope with the subsequent turmoil. We must take the route of elite soldiers, but we cannot just take the route of elite troops.

Therefore, Chen Wang needs constant expansion.

As for cost-free expansion, the best way is to recruit and subjugate rogue bandits.

In fact, Chang Guoan and Chen Wang also wanted to surrender, but Chang Guoan's ambition was too great and he lost control later. In addition to the previous conspiracy, Chen Wang chose to kill him directly to silence him.

For the surrendered bandits, military pay and food supplies were provided by the central government.

Zuo Liangyu does not have Chen Wang's foundation, but he still has more than 20,000 troops under his command, precisely for this reason.

Those civil servants dared to pay the officers and soldiers, but now they basically dare not pay the surrendered bandits.

Because if they surrender due to lack of pay and then rebel again, those who make money will naturally be implicated.