Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 316 Merits and Disadvantages
In Hengzhou, all the debris in front of the city gate had been cleared away, leaving only the bullet holes and bloodstains on the city wall, revealing the brutality of the previous siege.

At this time, soldiers in armor and holding swords were everywhere on the city walls, and thousands of Longxiang Imperial Guards surrounded the city gates.

In front of the city gate, He Tengjiao, Ma Jinzhong and other Huguang officials, as well as Tao Wanli and other representatives of the gentry in Hengzhou City, all stood in front of the city gate.

The weather was freezing cold, and a cold wind blew through the city gate. However, He Tengjiao and the others in front of the city gate seemed unaware of it, and just waited quietly in front of the city gate.

Two quarters of an hour later, a large carriage with a dragon flag flying overhead, escorted by many imperial guards, finally appeared on the official road and drove towards the city.
The carriage quickly stopped in front of the crowd, and a tall figure walked out of the carriage. When He Tengjiao and others saw the figure in the bright yellow dragon robe, they immediately knelt on the ground and saluted.

"Get up"

He Tengjiao and the others heard a deep voice coming from the front, followed by a thank you and a salute, and then they stood up from the ground.
He Tengjiao, Ma Jinzhong and other officials from Huguang stood aside with their heads down, secretly looking at the Gui Regent in front of them through the corner of their eyes. They led the army to fight in person, won a great victory in Fujian and Zhejiang, entered Hunan Province, beheaded Liu Chengyin, seized Yongzhou, and blockaded Hunan and Guangxi.
Almost all the changes in Hunan Province during the past year were caused by the new governor Gui.

Ma Jinzhong and other Huguang generals were almost forced to die in Hengzhou because of this. The two sides had actually fought several rounds in Huguang, but in fact, it was not until today that He Tengjiao and other Huguang officials met His Royal Highness Gui Jianguo for the first time.

The officials of Huguang were looking at Zhu Lang, and Zhu Lang was also looking at the officials of Huguang in front of him.

Zhu Lang looked at the old man in red robe standing in front of him and suddenly spoke softly

"Governor He, I want to see you, but it's really not easy."

Ma Jinzhong and the others were all nervous when they heard this. Although Gui Jianguo's tone was quite calm at this time, anyone could tell that it was not a good thing. It was certainly not easy for a minister to see the king, but it was not easy for the king to see his ministers.

He Tengjiao's expression changed slightly when he heard this. This was the first sentence Gui Jianguo said after meeting the officials of Huguang. It was definitely not an unintentional remark.
He knew that His Royal Highness the Regent was talking about the incident last year when the Huguang Governor's Office disobeyed the imperial will and refused to attend the court. This was the beginning of a series of events in Huguang later.

He Tengjiao opened his mouth slightly, and was about to speak to explain, but when He Tengjiao looked at the calm young man in front of him, a trace of fear flashed through his heart for some reason.

He Tengjiao opened his mouth slightly and tried to speak several times, but every time he met the gaze of the young man opposite him, all the excuses he had prepared before were hard to say.
He Tengjiao was silent for a moment, but suddenly knelt on the ground again and said in a trembling voice

"I am guilty, Your Highness, please punish me."

Ma Jinzhong and the others were also shocked to see He Tengjiao kneeling down to apologize, but the Regent on the opposite side just snorted coldly and then did not respond.

At this time, His Royal Highness the Regent did not speak, and the ministers also did not dare to speak. The place became silent for a while.

The cold wind whistled in front of the city gate. In the blink of an eye, half a quarter of an hour had passed. He Tengjiao knelt on the ground, his face becoming paler and paler.

He Tengjiao was already injured when he was defending the city. Now he was blown by the cold wind and his body began to shake.

Zhang Kuang looked at He Tengjiao who was about to fall to the ground, but a trace of pity flashed through his heart. Zhang Kuang hesitated for a moment, but suddenly stepped out of the line to salute and said respectfully
"Your Highness, please allow me to report that Governor He led the officials of the Governor's Office and others in a bloody battle to defend the city. The Governor has worked hard for the past two months and has hardly had a single day of rest."

"When defending the city, the Governor led the troops many times, and suffered several injuries, which have not healed yet. Even if the Governor has no merit, he has worked hard. Your Highness, please calm down your anger. Even if Your Highness is angry, you can wait until the Governor's injuries recover a little before holding him accountable. This will also show Your Highness's benevolence."

Zhu Lang looked at Zhang Kuang below, his expression suddenly turned cold, and he shouted
"Merit? Hard work?"

"If you really have made great contributions, you should be in Changsha, Yuezhou, or Wuchang now, instead of retreating to Hengzhou and waiting for the court to rescue you."

"You, the officials from Huguang, have been stationed in Hunan for several years, and have levied taxes and sent people to the provinces indiscriminately. The taxes in Hunan have even been collected for more than ten years."

"The people of Hunan are living in misery. There are hundreds of memorials impeaching you, the military officials of the Huguang Governor's Office. They have already piled up above the table. You have not been able to sleep well, so how can the people of Hunan sleep well at night?"

"Since the Jiashen period, the situation in the court has changed several times overnight, and it is unable to support Huguang."

"The court is aware of your difficulties. Whether you are the governor or the military officials in Hunan, you have arbitrarily imposed taxes on the people, and the court has allowed you to do so and taken the blame for your cruelty. Over the years, has the court ever asked you to pay a penny of Huguang taxes?"

"But what did you do after you collected taxes from Huguang?"

"During the Longwu reign, you submitted petitions to the court, saying that you wanted to gather troops to restore the country. You submitted petitions every year and launched northern expeditions every year, but over the past few years, have you recovered any city or place?"

"First, Yuezhou fell, then Xiangyin, Changsha, and finally they retreated to Hengzhou, and almost lost the whole of Hunan. This is what you call the Northern Expedition, this is what you call the Restoration."

"You have been sitting in Hunan Province for several years, wasting the treasury of Huguang, being lazy and idle, raising troops and acting on your own, and even openly gathering troops to disobey the will of the court."

"How dare you still talk about your merits and hard work at this moment? Just based on what you have done in Hunan Province, the court will execute all of you, the governors and military officials of Huguang, and you deserve to die!"

Zhang Kuang was originally a little indignant when he saw His Highness the Regent treating He Tengjiao so harshly, but when he heard His Highness the Regent's cold shout, he suddenly panicked and knelt on the ground.
Ma Jinzhong, Wang Jincai and other officials from Huguang, who were standing behind him, were also panicked when they saw His Royal Highness the Regent was angry, and they all knelt on the ground.

Hao Yongzhong lowered his head and knelt on the ground, looking at the imperial guards with swords and sabers on the roadside, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of panic in his heart.

Hao Yongzhong was also a long-time bandit. After joining the Shun army, Hao Yongzhong followed the Shun army to kill people and break into cities. He had killed so many soldiers and civilians that he couldn't even remember how many of them died.
After so many years of killing, there are not many things that can scare Hao Yongzhong.
But at this moment, Hao Yongzhong couldn't help but feel panic rising in his heart. This fear was completely different from leading an army to fight with others.
When leading troops in battle, even if the enemy's strength is five or ten times that of his own, Hao Yongzhong will not be too afraid. No matter how big the disparity in strength is, as long as he is determined to leave, there is always a chance to escape on the battlefield.

But this time it was completely different. Hao Yongzhong felt like a mosquito caught in a spider web, surrounded by a dragnet, with no chance of escape at all.

If the Gui Regent on the other side wanted to kill someone to establish his authority, as long as a few soldiers stepped forward, they could immediately capture and kill him on the spot. At this time, I have no power to fight back at all.

Hao Shangjiu suddenly realized that his life and death were no longer in his control at this moment.

The officials from Huguang knelt on the ground, and His Royal Highness the Regent did not say a word after they knelt down.

The scene fell silent again. As time went by, Ma Jinzhong, Hao Yongzhong and the others became more and more frightened. After an unknown amount of time, Ma Jinzhong, who was kneeling on the ground, heard a voice again. Zhu Lang suddenly stepped forward and walked behind the people from Huguang, in front of a middle-aged man in a red robe.
This man is called Tao Wanli. He spent all his money to help defend the city. Now he is the representative of the city's righteous people and is able to go out of the city to welcome the emperor.
Zhu Lang looked at Tao Wanli in front of him and said

"When Tao Qing was in danger, he stayed in the city and spent all his money to help defend the city. I have also heard of such a righteous act. Tao Qing is different from the people in the Huguang Governor's Office. He has made contributions to the court and has no faults. There is no need for him to kneel with them. Stand up."

Tao Wanli was also nervous when he heard this. After the eunuch beside him reminded him several times, he cried out and quickly stood up to thank the emperor.
Seeing Tao Wanli's panic, Zhu Lang frowned slightly. After a moment of silence, he continued to speak.
"Mr. Tao is a respected person in the village. He is a native of Hunan Province and has personally witnessed the defense of the city. Mr. Tao thinks that He Tengjiao and other officials from Huguang should be killed."

Tao Wanli heard this and a drop of cold sweat immediately rolled down his forehead.

At this time, although He Tengjiao, Ma Jinzhong, Hao Yongzhong and other Huguang officials all bowed their heads and knelt on the ground, Tao Wanli clearly felt that He Tengjiao and others were all looking at him.
Tao Wanli subconsciously glanced at Li Chengzhi, who was wearing a red flying fish suit, behind His Royal Highness the Regent. However, Li Chengzhi was just standing respectfully behind His Royal Highness the Regent, with a blank expression on his face.
Tao Wanli looked nervous and couldn't help swallowing his saliva before he spoke.

"Although I am just a commoner in the village, I am also a citizen of the Ming Dynasty. Helping the court defend the city is what we common people should do. I don't deserve your praise."

"I am a country bumpkin with limited knowledge. How dare I discuss the important affairs of the government in Huguang? I dare not speak rashly about whether Governor He and the other gentlemen are guilty or not."

"However, since the Eastern Tartars invaded Hunan, they would always let their soldiers plunder and kill wherever they went. When the Eastern Tartars seized Changsha, Changsha was plundered. When they seized Xiangtan, Xiangtan was plundered. The number of people killed and looted by the Qing soldiers in both places was countless."

"Governor He has been working very hard since arriving in Hengzhou. If it weren't for Governor He, General Ma, General Hao and other officials who fought to the death to defend the city, Hengzhou would have been broken by the Eastern Tartars by now, and all the people in the city would have been killed by them."

"The people of Hengzhou have been saved thanks to the support of Governor He and the generals. How can I bear to criticize your merits and demerits at this moment?"

After Tao Wanli finished speaking, he knelt down again, but His Royal Highness the Regent did not respond at this time. Instead, he walked forward and left.
Tao Wanli saw His Majesty the Regent suddenly leave without saying a word, and he became more and more flustered. He subconsciously looked at Li Chengzhi who was standing beside him.

But at this time, Li Chengzhi had already followed His Highness and walked away, leaving Tao Wanli kneeling on the ground with a frightened look on his face.
Ma Jinzhong and the others felt relieved when they heard what Tao Wanli said. Although Tao Wanli did not say it explicitly, his words were actually a plea for mercy for them.
Moreover, the angle of this plea was very good. Even they themselves felt that they were truly loyal and righteous ministers who risked their lives to save the people in times of crisis.

Ma Jinzhong and the others knelt on the ground with their heads bowed. Their faces calmed down a little, but after a long time, they still did not hear the response from His Royal Highness the Regent.

Ma Jinzhong and the others lowered their heads and looked at each other. Suddenly, their hearts tightened again.

Zhu Lang stood in front of the city gate. Although the gate had been cleared, the tragic situation of Hengzhou's defense could still be seen.
There were broken brick and stone craters everywhere on the city wall, and several gaps more than one meter deep were blasted out near the city tower.
The officials of Hengzhou found that after the imperial reinforcements arrived, the gaps that had been filled with rubble were cleared again. At this time, several gaps on the city wall were clearly visible, making the city wall look even more dilapidated.
Not far from the city gate, there was a pile of lead iron balls half a person's height. These balls were large and small, and they were all cannonballs fired by the Qing army into the city during this battle.
After the battle, the city was searched and found nearly 10,000 shells, which shows how brutal the Qing army's siege was.
Zhu Lang took another look at the black coffin above the city wall, and then turned around and walked back.
Ma Jinzhong and the others knelt on the ground, only to see a pair of bright yellow brocade boots passing in front of them, and then stopped in front of them again.

When everyone saw Gui Jianguo walking back, they all thought about it again. But His Royal Highness the Jianguo suddenly spoke up.

"What's the matter with the coffin on the top of the city?"

He Tengjiao said nothing when he heard this, but knelt on the ground in silence. Seeing this, Ma Jinzhong suddenly spoke up.

"Reporting to Your Highness, on the first day of the Eastern Tartars' siege, Governor He personally carried the coffin to the city walls to show his determination to defend the city to the death."

"During the siege by the Eastern Tartars, the Governor did not shy away from the arrows, but personally guarded the city walls, and was wounded several times. At the most critical moment, the Governor was wounded by arrows, and fell to the ground several times, but he still howled and fought. The soldiers in the army admired the Governor's loyalty and fought to the death to repel the Eastern Tartars, and only then did they wait for the imperial court's reinforcements."

At this time, Ma Jinzhong and others were on the same boat with He Tengjiao. Instead of showing off their own merits, they should show off their merits to He Tengjiao. He Tengjiao was a senior official in the court. If he could get away, they could better protect themselves.
Upon hearing this, His Royal Highness the Regent remained silent for a long time before speaking softly.

"I heard that Governor He's arm was injured by an arrow from a thief. How is his condition now?"

He Tengjiao's official robe was torn, his left arm was wrapped in thick bandages, and both sides of his arms were clamped by wooden boards and hung at his sides.
Ma Jinzhong, Hao Yongzhong and other Huguang generals, like He Tengjiao, were all wearing the tattered armor they wore when defending the city.
He Tengjiao heard this, but did not say much, just replied respectfully

"Half a month ago, the Eastern Tartars attacked the city fiercely. The enemy general wanted to break the morale of our army. Suddenly, they rushed to the tower desperately. I was not careful at the moment, and the enemy general shot an arrow through my left arm."

"But fortunately, thanks to the dedication of the troops, the Eastern Tartars were ultimately unable to succeed. This happened half a month ago. The arrow wound has been treated by a doctor. It is just a minor injury, so I dare not trouble Your Highness to ask about it."

After He Tengjiao finished speaking, he knelt on the ground in silence again. Zhu Lang looked at He Tengjiao and Ma Jinzhong on the ground and nodded slightly.
The two men were indeed alert. They saw a gap and climbed up with ladders on the left and right.
Zhu Lang was silent for a moment before continuing to speak.

"The Qing invaders attacked from the south, Hunan Province fell, Huang Chaoxuan surrendered to the enemy, Cao Zhijian and Zhang Xianbi fled. Although you are not in a good position to defend Hunan, you are still able to defend the city to the death in times of crisis. It is still rare. You cannot be compared with Huang Cao and other disloyal and unrighteous people."

"Your crime of occupying Hunan Province is unforgivable, but in times of crisis, loyalty and treachery are revealed. Now that the country is in turmoil, it is time to employ people."

"Since Governor He was shot by the imperial court, I will also shoot you to end our grudges."

Ma Jinzhong and the others were immediately delighted when they heard this, but before they could open their mouths to thank him, His Royal Highness the Regent above them shouted coldly:

"But you must remember that it is not me who saved you, but the people of Hengzhou."

"You fought bravely to protect the people of this city, so the court can show you mercy. Do you understand?"

"I have been granted amnesty by your Highness. From now on, I will serve the court till my death, defend the country, and protect the people of the Ming Dynasty."

He Tengjiao bowed respectfully, and Ma Jinzhong and others behind him followed suit, shouting their thanks.
Zhu Lang looked at the officials from Huguang who were kneeling down in front of him and said softly:
"Li Guoyong, help He Qing up."

When He Tengjiao heard the call of He Qing, he finally relaxed. Li Guoyong stepped forward to help He Tengjiao up, and Ma Jinzhong and others also stood up.
"It's freezing cold, there's no need to welcome him. He Qing is injured, so prepare a carriage for him and let him enter the city first."

Zhu Lang called up the officials from Huguang on the ground, and without saying anything more, he walked directly towards the carriage behind.

Ma Jin, Hao Shangjiu and others watched the carriage slowly drive into the doorway, and they finally relaxed.
As the cold wind blew in front of the city gate, Ma Jinzhong and the others felt a chill coming from behind. It was not until then that Ma Jinzhong and the others realized that their backs were already covered with cold sweat.
Ma Jinzhong, Hao Shangjiu and others exchanged glances, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and then walked in unison, following the carriage in front into the city.

(End of this chapter)