Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 394 Reorganization
In the lobby, the leaders of the mountain strongholds looked quite calm.

Before everyone came to Dalan Mountain, they had guessed that Wang Yi's big move this time must be to become the leader of the rebel army. Although the leader has become the governor, there is no difference between the two.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Li Changxiang and Huang Zongxi suddenly stood up and said

"What Wang Futai said is correct. Our army is weaker than the Qing invaders in Zhejiang Province. If we remain like a pile of loose sand, we will surely be defeated one by one by the Qing invaders."

"We, the Dongshan Village Volunteer Army, are willing to be incorporated into the Zhejiang Provincial Army and obey the orders of Governor Wang."

"We in Pinggang Village are also willing to be incorporated into the camp and obey Governor Wang's orders."

Among the various rebel armies in the four mountains, the strongest was the Dalanshan rebel army led by Wang Yi.

Below Dalan Mountain Stronghold are the large strongholds led by Li Changxiang, Shi Zhongfang and others, and further back are the medium-sized strongholds led by Gu Yanwu and others.
After Li Changxiang and Huang Zongxi expressed their opinions, five or six other village leaders spoke up and expressed their willingness to follow their lead.

All of these mountain stronghold leaders who spoke out were former officials and gentry of the imperial court.
Half of the village chiefs in the field agreed, while the rest remained silent.
Shi Zhongfang saw Wang Yongsheng and others looking at him, thought for a moment, and finally shook his head.

They all obeyed the banner of the Lu Regent. Wang Yi received an imperial edict from the Lu Regent, so it was difficult for him to object at this time.

At this time, Siming Mountain was surrounded by the Qing army. A tall tree attracts the wind. Although the title of leader sounds impressive, it may not be a good thing.

Since Wang Yi wants this false reputation, it's fine to give it to him.
Wang Yi saw that no one in the room had said anything for a long time, so he did not wait any longer. He walked directly to the main seat and sat down, then spoke.

"Since this is the case, all the rebel armies in Zhejiang Province will be incorporated into the camp troops from now on, and the governor's office will coordinate the rebel armies in the mountains."

Shi Zhongfang looked at Wang Yi, who was wearing a scarlet robe, and his eyes turned slightly. He suddenly stood up and said:

"All of our camps are determined to support the Ming Dynasty. In the past few years, we have fought bloody battles with the Qing invaders to serve the court. However, due to the chaotic situation, many of the volunteer armies in the mountains have not been able to receive appointments from the court."

"Since Governor Wang wants to incorporate our camps into the army, please report the merits of our camps in Siming Mountain to the court and determine the rewards. This will also calm people's hearts and boost the morale of the troops."

The leaders of the various strongholds below all brightened up when they heard this, and they all echoed it. Wang Yi glanced at the people below and also spoke

"It is only right that the various camps in the mountains rise up in rebellion and support the Ming Dynasty, and report their achievements to the court. However, before that, this governor has something else to discuss with you."

"The various righteous armies were scattered all over the place, making it difficult for them to form a united force, which is why they were repeatedly besieged by the Qing army."

"In order to unite the forces of the various righteous armies, I intend to gather troops in Dalan Mountain, eliminate the old and weak, reorganize the soldiers in the mountains, and form a 20,000-strong Zhejiang Provincial Camp. What do you think?"

After Wang Yi finished speaking, except for a few people like Li Changxiang and Huang Zongxi who still spoke out in agreement, the place suddenly became silent.

Shi Zhongfang looked stunned and was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"May I ask Governor Wang, who will lead this battalion after it is reorganized?"

"I am the Governor of Northern Zhejiang. After the reorganization is completed, I will personally lead the Zhejiang Camp."

"All of you village chiefs are veterans in the army. After the court has assessed your situations, it will issue an edict based on your achievements and records, and all of you village chiefs can join the camp as generals."

Shi Zhongfang looked at Wang Yi, who looked calm, and felt a sense of absurdity in his heart.

Wang Yi said he was reorganizing the army, but in fact he was annexing the troops of various camps.

Soldiers from all camps gathered together for reorganization, the old and weak were eliminated, and even the generals in the army had to be reported to the court by Wang Yi for decision. What else could this be but annexation?

Shi Zhongfang really couldn't understand why Wang Yi dared to bring up such an outrageous thing in front of them.
Does Wang Yi really think that everyone will obey him just by holding an empty edict? Does he think it is still more than ten years ago?

There was silence in the room, but Wang Yi seemed unaware and spoke again.

"After the reorganization of the righteous armies in various villages, our Siming Mountain righteous army will be greatly strengthened, which is beneficial to the court and the country."

"All the leaders of the major camps can join the camp as generals and command the troops. For the leaders of the camps who cannot join the camp, I will also ask the court to confer titles on them and give them other official titles and positions as rewards. What do you think?"

Shi Zhongfang sneered in his heart when he heard this. He also understood Wang Yi's intention. Wang Yi was trying to win over the leaders of the major camps by offering him the power to lead the troops. At the same time, he was also trying to recruit the troops of the various camps by granting them official titles and titles as a condition.

But why should they cooperate with him in the reorganization? These mountain righteous soldiers risked their lives to fight against the Qing Dynasty, and it was only natural for the court to grant them official titles and honors.

As for the promise to the chief of the stronghold to continue to lead the troops, it is even more ridiculous.
These soldiers were originally from their respective camps. Wang Yi actually used their things as conditions to ask them to hand over their military power. This is simply ridiculous.

Shi Zhongfang glanced at the scene and found that the leaders of the various strongholds in the scene all had gloomy expressions.

They came here today to form a loose alliance so that they could seek reinforcements in the future, not to wait to be annexed by Dalan Village.
Shi Zhongfang leaned back in his chair, looking at Wang Yi who was still promoting the reorganization plan.

Shi Zhongfang suddenly spoke at this time, and everyone in the field immediately focused their attention on him.
"Master Wang has great ambitions, which are truly astonishing. However, our Taiping Village is located on the periphery, and the Qing army is eyeing our Taiping Village covetously. However, the soldiers in our village cannot leave the village for even a moment."

"I will not participate in the reorganization of the Taiping Village, Mr. Wang."

Wang Yi's face darkened when he heard this, and he said

"General Shi, His Royal Highness Lu Jianguo issued this order in order to unite the forces of the various righteous armies in the mountains."

"If the soldiers in each camp are not reorganized, the rebels in the mountains will remain in disarray and will have no chance of resisting the Qing invaders."

"I can guarantee that this reorganization will be fair to everyone. As long as they are elite soldiers, no matter where they come from, they can all be reorganized into the camp..."

Before Wang Yi finished speaking, Lei Hubiao suddenly stood up from below, with an impatient look on his face, and shouted
"I promise, I promise your mother, we brothers from all the villages give you face and are willing to make you the leader of the alliance. But you actually want to annex our troops. You are really shameless."

"Mr. Wang, don't you want to reorganize my brothers from various villages in Siming Mountain? That's easy. Just give your position as governor to the Shi Village Chief, and I will agree to the reorganization."

Lei Hubiao slammed the table and stood up, while Shi Zhongfang, who was standing beside him, shook his head and laughed, and said

"Master Lei, you are joking. How can a simple man like me be a governor?"

"Besides, I don't have as big an appetite as the village chief Wang. The brothers from the villages fought bravely to serve the imperial court, and only then did they establish a mountain village. I can't do such a thing as stealing other people's foundation."

The village chiefs in the hall could no longer bear it and started to curse.
"I'm here today to claim my reward, not to acknowledge the governor..."

"We have fought for the imperial court for so many years, and you actually want to seize our foundation. What the hell is the imperial court? Do you really think your grandfather is easy to mess with..."

Wang Yi looked at the leaders of the various camps who were cursing below, and his face turned ugly. Wang Yi looked at Shi Zhongfang on his right and said in a deep voice, "General Shi, the integration of the rebel army is the order of His Majesty the Regent. His Majesty the Regent has issued the order. Do you want to disobey the court..."

Shi Zhongfang looked at Wang Yi with a stern expression and completely lost his patience. Dalan Mountain had nearly 10,000 soldiers and was quite brave in the past. He often went out of the mountain to attack the surrounding counties.

Shi Zhongfang had met Wang Yi several times before. He originally thought that Wang Yi was a great man, but he never thought that he was such an unrealistic and pedantic person.
The people in the hall are the kings of the mountains and villages, not the scholars in the government who are good at talking.

At this time, Wang Yi actually talked to them about the righteousness of the court and the country. It was simply ridiculous.
Shi Zhongfang stood up and said

"Okay, Mr. Wang, there is no need to speak so much nonsense here. We are all rough people and cannot understand your great principles."

"From now on, you build your camp and I will serve my court. We will keep to ourselves. How about that?"

Shi Zhongfang stood up and said without waiting for Wang Yi's response.

"I am going to return to the village. Who among you brothers is willing to go with me?"

After Shi Zhongfang finished speaking, more than 20 mountain stronghold leaders suddenly stood up. Seeing this, Shi Zhongfang also smiled.

There are only 32 strongholds that came to listen to the imperial edict this time. If more than 20 of them leave, the so-called reorganization will become a joke.

"Shi has something else to do in the village, so I won't stay any longer. Goodbye."

Shi Zhongfang casually bowed to Wang Yi above him, then turned and left. The leaders of the mountain strongholds also followed Shi Zhongfang and left.

However, before Shi Zhongfang and the others left the hall, a heavy sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

ta ta ta

More than 30 soldiers wearing purple flowered cloth armor suddenly rushed into the hall, with long swords shining coldly in their hands.
The soldiers entered the room and immediately guarded the doors and windows, surrounding the leaders of the mountain stronghold.

When the soldiers surrounded the hall on all sides, a tall young man wearing a phoenix-wing helmet and iron armor walked into the hall.
Shi Lang raised his head, looked up at Wang Yi, and said

"Well, I've already said that there's no need to waste time with these scum. In the end, you'll still have to use my methods."

Shi Zhongfang looked at the murderous soldiers holding knives and swords in the field, with a look of shock and anger on his face.

Shi Zhongfang and his men had been stationed in Siming Mountain for several years, so they naturally had contacts with Dalan Mountain Village and knew Wang Yi's identity.

Shi Zhongfang and others knew that Wang Yi was a scholar of a respectable background, so they dared to come to Dalanzhai.
But Shi Zhongfang did not expect that Wang Yi was actually going to forcibly attack them.
Shi Zhongfang looked up at Wang Yi and said angrily
"Master Wang, what do you mean? We are the righteous army of the imperial court, and we are here in compliance with the imperial edict. What do you want to do?"

After Shi Zhongfang finished speaking, he looked at the young man at the door and said in a deep voice
"Who are you to dare to act so presumptuously here?"

"Why would a dead man ask so many questions?"

Shi Lang looked calm. The next moment, a long knife suddenly stabbed into Shi Zhongfang's abdomen. Shi Zhongfang looked shocked, blood oozed from his mouth, and then he fell to the ground.

Shi Zhongfang fell to the ground, his eyes wide open, blood gushing out from under him, quickly staining the ground red.
Shi Zhongfang never thought that Shi Lang would dare to kill people with his sword.

This is really unreasonable. The soldiers in each stronghold are all from their own camp. Wang Yi wants to annex their strongholds, but they just don't agree. Should he kill them?

They are the rebel army. What about the righteousness of the imperial court? Isn't it said that the imperial court attaches great importance to rules? How dare Wang Yi kill these rebel leaders like this?

Shi Lang certainly didn't know what Shi Zhongfang was thinking, but even if he did, he wouldn't care.
The court naturally abides by the rules, but he is now a soldier under the command of King Lu. What does King Lu's disobedience have to do with the court?

At worst, he could report King Lu to the emperor after he returned to the court. The righteous armies were all loyal, so how could King Lu be so rude and kill people just because of a disagreement?
When Lei Hubiao saw Shi Zhongfang being killed suddenly, his face was furious and he shouted
"What do you want to do, you dog? We are all the leaders of the villages in the mountains. If you dare to touch us, the people in the mountains will..."

Before Lei Hubiao finished speaking, his voice suddenly stopped. Lei Hubiao lowered his head and stared at his chest. A long knife had already stabbed into his chest without him knowing when.

The long sword suddenly turned and then suddenly pulled out. Warm blood splashed out from Lei Hubiao's chest, staining Shi Lang's armor red.

Lei Hubiao screamed, and his tall body fell to the ground with a thud.

The faces of the mountain stronghold leaders in the hall finally turned into fear. Suddenly, there was a loud noise and they all retreated.

These people were able to establish a stronghold in the mountains and serve as the leader of the stronghold for several years. Naturally, they were also ruthless and cruel.

But the young man in black armor in front of him was simply a madman. He killed people without any warning or hesitation. He would kill people immediately if he said so.

Shi Lang wiped off the blood on his knife, looked at the leaders of the mountain strongholds in front of him, and said softly:
"Who else wants to threaten the court?"

Wang Yongsheng and other village leaders all avoided looking at him when they heard this. Shi Lang looked at the pale-faced people and a look of satisfaction flashed across his face.
Shi Lang was prepared to capture the leaders of these mountain strongholds directly from the beginning, but Wang Yi, Huang Zongxi and others insisted on using official positions and military posts to peacefully complete the reorganization of the various rebel forces in the mountains.

Shi Lang knew from the beginning that Wang Yi and others would never succeed. The Shi family had also been military leaders during the Longwu Dynasty, so they understood the minds of these military leaders best.

For these military leaders, the territory and soldiers in their hands are their lifeblood. Without absolute military deterrence, it is simply wishful thinking to take away their soldiers with just a few empty official positions and a few words of justice.
Shi Lang saw Wang Yongsheng and others bowing their heads and said in a cold voice:

"Since you have used the imperial title, you are an imperial general. Since you are an imperial general, you should obey the imperial orders. Those who disobey the orders are traitors and should be executed!"

After Shi Lang finished speaking, he ignored the expressions of the people in the room and looked at Lin Xingzhu beside him and said

"Take these people down, confiscate the weapons of the guards, and deal with those who dare to resist directly on the spot. There is no need to report to us."

"These people are all riding horses. We don't have many war horses this time. Be careful not to hurt them."

Wang Yongsheng and the others were all a little angry when they heard this. They were the leaders of the villages. Could it be that they were not as valuable as a horse?
But Shi Lang didn't care what these people thought. Lin Xingzhu responded and led the soldiers to escort all the village chiefs out of the hall. After seeing the cruelty of these soldiers, no one in the crowd dared to resist.

The village chiefs were escorted out of the hall. Shi Lang then looked up at Wang Yi and his men and said:

"If we delay, something unexpected will happen. Now that we have captured the leaders of each village, we must take advantage of the fact that each village is unprepared and send troops immediately to take over each village in the mountains."

Li Changxiang's Dongshanzhai troops and Huang Zongxi's Pinggangzhai troops had already gathered outside Dalan Mountain in secret. The troops of the three villages were enough to crush any mountain village in the mountains.

According to the information provided by Wang Yi and others, in addition to Wang Yi's Dalanzhai and Li Changxiang's Dongshanzhai, there are three larger mountain villages in Siming Mountain, namely Taipingzhai, Dingshanzhai, and Xuedouzhai.

The leaders of the Dingshan and Xuedou strongholds have been captured. As long as they trick the stronghold leaders into opening the stronghold gates, they should be able to take over the strongholds smoothly. Shi Zhongfang of Taiping stronghold has been killed, which will be more troublesome.

When the Dalanshan Volunteer Army went out to take over these large camps, Shi Lang would also send his soldiers to follow them.
Dingshan and Xuedou camps each sent 60 soldiers, and Taiping camp sent 100 soldiers. With the help of these soldiers, it should not be a problem to capture the three camps.
Wang Yi, Huang Zongxi and others heard Shi Lang's plan, and a trace of helplessness flashed in their eyes. At this time, the people had been killed, and they had no way out.
Shi Lang and his men had already made their decision, and thousands of chaotic soldiers quickly poured out of Dalan Mountain, and then divided into three groups and rushed towards the three mountain strongholds.
(End of this chapter)