Traveling through the Ming Dynasty, as soon as you open your eyes, you will die

Chapter 189 Rogue Bandits Recruiting Troops
Soldiers gathered in Yangyuan, Shanxi, and their purpose was quite clear. The Ming Dynasty's campaign to regain the northwest was about to begin.

For this reason, Yuan Zongdi, who was stationed in Datong Prefecture, was in a dilemma.

He only has one hundred thousand soldiers now, and after being attacked continuously by Wu Sangui, they were patched together, old and young, good and bad. Facing the Ming army that gathered more than a dozen and close to 200,000 men, he had no chance of winning.

So, should I abandon Datong and quickly return to Shaanxi to join Gao Yigong, or should I go south to Daizhou, block the enemies from the north and south for Hao Yaoqi, and defend Shanxi?
In fact, Yuan Zongdi is not a direct descendant of Li Zicheng's faction. He formed an independent camp from the beginning and took charge of his own affairs, so he was called Little Yuan Camp.

So this time when Li Zicheng went south, he did not take him with him, but strictly ordered him to occupy Xuanda and restrain the main force of the Ming Dynasty from moving.

As a result, he persisted for more than a year and had many fierce battles with Wu Sangui. At the beginning, it seemed that the fight was evenly matched.

Suddenly, Wu Sangui exerted his strength, and Guan Ning's combat power was truly revealed. After just a few battles, Yuan Zongdi was forced into Shanxi and retreated to Datong.

Yuan Zongdi's dilemma now is that in Datong, there is no shortage of food and grass, but there is a shortage of soldiers.

Shanxi has been devastated for twenty years and is already sparsely populated. Last year, a great plague left nine out of ten houses empty.

The hateful Jinyiwei Military Work Team of the Ming Dynasty issued the Ming Dynasty Emperor's Favor Order and mobilized the people to resist military service.

Now that the army is expanding, it is no longer like before, and people who responded to it will no longer gather together.

Now it’s time to rise up and shout, and you will definitely not be able to get off the stage.

They also spent money and food to recruit soldiers, but the people treated him coldly and there were almost no responders. The people went from welcoming King Chuang and looking forward to King Chuang to looking forward to the return of Master Wang.

Yuan Zongdi was puzzled. Is it cheaper for King Chuang to come and not pay for food than for Ming Dynasty to return and have to pay four coins per acre?
As for the land contracted to you, where did that land come from? Wasn’t it that we killed all the powerful landlords and released the princes and gentry?

When I return tomorrow, I will contract it for you. Now, there is a large area of ​​ownerless land in the surrounding areas. You can farm it as you please, no one cares about you. Why are white people still less popular than paying land rent and labor service?

The deputy general, General Quan Li Jin, had no choice but to suggest: "General, now that the enemy's troops are pressing down on the border, if we return to Shaanxi, not only will Gao Yigong and his wife not allow it, but even King Chuang who is far in the south will be punished. Therefore, we must stay at You can’t retreat here.”

"However, the Ming army currently has 180,000 infantry and cavalry. How can we resist?"

"Let's expand the army. Wouldn't it be enough to expand the army to 200,000?"

"We have tried all the methods of recruiting troops, but they are of no use."

"Purge the military workers and force them to conquer."

Yuan Zongdi thought for a while, and at this time, this was the only way.

In their thinking as rogue bandits, as long as they coerce the people who have been forcibly recruited and give them a wooden stick, they become soldiers.

As a result, a large number of conscription teams began to go to the four villages to recruit soldiers.

A peaceful and quiet village was suddenly surrounded by the Dashun army. The villagers who had not had time to escape were gathered in the threshing floor by the Dashun army. A small leader shouted to the people at the top of his lungs: "Hand over the martial arts workers in your village." Team, otherwise we will act as traitors and kill your whole village."

No one responded, everyone just looked at him coldly.

Li Jin repeatedly emphasized the elimination of the armed workers who had been brought into the so-called army.

Because they know that if one of the people who are recruited to serve as soldiers is the Jinyiwei Martial Arts Team, it will be like asking for death for themselves.

Seeing that no one identified the military workers, the little leader was furious: "We, the Dashun Army, have been fighting with King Chuang for more than ten years. I don't know how many brothers have died because you are no longer oppressed by the corrupt and cruel officials. But now you don't know how to be grateful." , and you still listen to the emperor’s order from the martial arts team. Have you eaten up the kindness of King Chuang to your stomach? Now, hand over the martial arts team, and then join the Dashun Army. We will give you a monthly salary of five taels of silver. , drive out the corrupt officials who will come back to harm you."

The little boss said that his blood was boiling, but he was still cold and cold below.

No one joined the army enthusiastically, and no one handed over the military work team.

The little leader was so angry that he jumped off the millstone, rushed to an old man, and pulled him out: "Tell me, who is the martial arts team in your village?"

The old man replied calmly: "I don't know what martial arts team the military master is talking about. These are all folks who have been in the countryside for hundreds of years."

"Are you looking for death?"

The old man sneered: "I don't want to die. Life is getting better and better. Why should I die? I still want to see how it will be in ten years."

"Didn't King Chuang bring you a good life?" the old man sneered.

"Are you going to tell me? If you don't tell me, I will kill you."

The old man still kept his mouth shut.

He pulled out the knife and pierced the old man's chest. The old man fell silently.

He grabbed an old lady again and said, "You tell me."

The old lady asked softly: "We once welcomed King Chuang. We thought that King Chuang would come and help us kill those corrupt officials. But now, you guys are catching people and buying them by force for a penny or a stone." Food, what is the difference between this and robbing? You always seize strong men to work, is there any difference between you and those corrupt officials back then?"

As soon as these words came out, the little boss was speechless.

Yes, I was also oppressed and became angry and rebelled. Apart from killing corrupt officials and the landlords and gentry, what have we done for the people?

We coerce the people into becoming bandits, not to allow them to produce with peace of mind. We rob the rich just to obtain money and food for ourselves, rather than to benefit the people. Now, nominally we use money and food to recruit soldiers, but we are recruiting soldiers. So what is the difference between us and the Ming Dynasty we rebelled against?

The old lady looked at the little boss coldly.

The little boss was discouraged, frustrated, discouraged, and disappointed. How could I live like what I hated the most?
Silently kowtow to the old man he killed: "I'm sorry, we were fighting for you to have a chance to live, but now, I have killed you. I apologize to you."

Then he turned around sadly and greeted his subordinates: "Let's go back."

Li Jin waited hopefully for the return of the team sent out to recruit soldiers.

In his expectation, this time, the monthly salary of five taels of silver was offered, which would probably recruit tens of thousands of soldiers for him.

He felt ashamed for this. He had set a precedent for rogue bandits to increase their strength, increase their troops, and increase military pay. He is simply a disgrace to the bandit world.

As a result, at night, the last team returned, but only brought him less than 5,000 people. And these people are not here for military pay. Is it for faith?

As a result, when I questioned him, I realized that I had overthought my feelings. I realized that these things were really not for military pay, but for being coerced.

What's the matter?
Questioning a small boss who looked defeated and depressed.

The little leader weakly asked Li Jin: "General, why did we pull the lever to rebel in the first place?"

Li Jin answered without hesitation: "In order to create rebellion against those corrupt officials and ruthless officials, to avenge the exploitation of our people, and for what Mr. Li Guo proposed -" he paused: "In order to create a smooth society for the people, and to create a prosperous society for the farmers." His fields will no longer provide food for the people."

The little leader replied disappointedly: "But what about us now? Li Yan, who proposed the slogan "Land to the tiller," went to the Ming Dynasty again."

Li Jin sighed.

In fact, the soldiers and people at the bottom are unaware of the struggle for power and profit at the top. They just saw that the person who proposed this slogan and gathered countless people to respond betrayed the group that fought for his slogan.

This is a collapse of faith, this is a catastrophic blow.

A person who puts forward a slogan and then betrays those who oppose this slogan has betrayed his own belief and ideals. Then who else can believe in this belief and ideals?
"And we have begun to forcefully recruit strong men and civilian husbands. We forcefully buy the common people's grain for one penny. What is the difference between this and robbing? Us." The little leader asked himself hard: "We are now, and Is there any difference between the Ming court that we hated back then?”

Li Jin was speechless. He really didn't know how to explain this to his brother who had been following him since Chongzhen eight years ago and fought hard all the way until now.

The little boss looked at Li Jin blankly, waiting for him to give him a perfect explanation.

However, Li Jin finally sighed: "Forget it, you didn't complete the mission today, and I won't punish you. But if you fail to complete the mission tomorrow, don't blame my ruthless men."

The little boss was disappointed and silently turned around and left.

As soon as I went out, I heard someone shouting: "Wang Tou, why can't you think of committing suicide? Wang Tou——"

Li Jin was stunned, and after a long time, he collapsed on the chair slumped.

(End of this chapter)