Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 94 Allegiance
In the hall, all the Guangdong generals heard Yan Yuncong's words with disbelief and horror on their faces.
And everyone finally understood why the court summoned them overnight, and only the Guangdong Army was present, but not the generals of other armies.

Ding Kuichu was the former governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi, and the Guangdong Army had always been under the control of Ding Kuichu.
Now that Ding Kuichu has been found plotting a rebellion, shouldn't the court quickly recruit them to the court to prevent them from joining the rebellion?

No, why are they raising an army to cause chaos?
They never thought of raising an army. Ding Kuichu's rebellion had nothing to do with them.
Ding Kuichu is causing chaos, so the court should go to him. We are not causing chaos, so why are you inviting us to the court?

Liu Yong thought about the sharp knife shadow outside the door just now, and his face turned pale. In his mind, he connected what happened tonight.

Ding Kuichu's rebellion was leaked, and His Highness summoned the Guangdong Army's generals overnight, and ambushed swordsmen outside the door. Is His Highness preparing to kill and silence them?
Thinking of this, Liu Yong could no longer bear it, and without caring about anything else, he immediately shouted at Yan Yuncong

"General Yan, you know us well. We are loyal to the court. How could we mess with the traitor Ding Kuichu?"

"We all know nothing about Ding Kuichu's rebellion. It really has nothing to do with us."

Upon hearing this, all the Guangdong generals agreed and cried out for justice.
"Yes, Your Highness, please understand, Your Majesty, please understand, all the elders, please understand, this matter really has nothing to do with us."

Yan Yuncong looked at the anxious generals but did not speak. After he finished speaking, he sat back in his seat silently.
Now he doesn't care whether these people know about this or not. He himself is in danger now. His life or death depends on His Highness's decision.

The only purpose of his appearance here is to endorse Ding Kuichu's rebellion. As for how to deal with the generals, that is something that His Royal Highness the Regent can decide.
Seeing Yan Yuncong remain silent, the generals looked more and more panicked, so they could only look up at His Royal Highness the Regent.
But before the generals could speak, His Majesty above them spoke softly.

"What are you talking about, generals? You are all military candidates selected by me personally. You must be loyal and upright officials to the court. How could you have any connection with traitors like Ding Kuichu?"

When the Guangdong generals below heard this, their eyes suddenly lit up. Yes, they were the newly elected candidates of the Imperial Examination, and they were the most loyal to the court. How could they be related to the traitor Ding Kuichu?

When the generals thought of this, they also spoke loudly.

"Yes, yes, we have received great kindness from Your Highness, and we dare not slack off in the slightest. We train our soldiers day and night just to assist Your Highness in the Northern Expedition and restore our Ming Dynasty as soon as possible. Our loyalty is clear to all."

Looking at the Guangdong army generals below who were shouting anxiously, Lu Daqi couldn't help but sigh in his heart, knowing that Ding Kuichu's Guangdong army was doomed.
Lu Daqi looked at His Highness the Regent, who had a gentle expression, and suddenly felt a little scared.

Your Highness had been planning for a long time. He first wooed troops from other places, and then, under Ding Kuichu's nose, wooed the generals of the Guangdong Army in advance. However, Ding Kuichu was completely unaware of Your Highness's intentions. How could Ding Kuichu not be defeated after taking these steps?
In other words, who could have imagined that His Royal Highness the Regent would go this far for military power?

The generals in the hall spoke one after another, but His Royal Highness the Regent suddenly stood up, stretched out his hand and pressed, and the hall immediately became quiet.
"I invite you all into the city today to make it clear to you that I have absolutely no suspicion of any kind with you generals."

"This incident was caused by Ding Kuichu's reckless and rebellious behavior."

"Today, in front of all the elders and the strict commander, I am ready to make it clear to all the generals that this matter only concerns Ding Kuichu and has nothing to do with any of the generals in your army."

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment, and then, led by someone unknown, they all saluted the Regent Palace above.
"Your Highness is wise and wise. I am deeply grateful."

After the Guangdong Army officers saluted, their faces were slightly relieved. His Highness made a promise to them in front of so many elders. He must be really ready to expose this matter and not want to cause unrest in the army.

Besides, they really didn't know that Ding Kuichu was planning a rebellion. How could Ding Kuichu inform ordinary generals like them in advance about such a big thing? Even if he wanted to tell them, he would have told Yan Yuncong.
Now Yan Yuncong is still sitting here in good health, which means that Ding Kuichu didn't even tell Yan Yuncong. Since Yan Yuncong is fine, then they shouldn't be in trouble either.

At this time, the generals calmed down a little, but the Regent's face suddenly darkened and he continued to speak.

"Yesterday, intelligence came from Gan Province that Ganzhou was destroyed by the Qing invaders. The Qing army may move south at any time. The court needs to integrate its forces to prepare for the Qing invaders."

"I want to reorganize the Guangdong Army. Are you willing to cooperate?"

Guan Can and other generals below heard this and their faces suddenly changed. His Highness said that he wanted to reorganize the army to prepare for the capture, but in fact he was still worried about their Guangdong Army and was ready to dismantle the entire Guangdong Army.

At this moment, the generals' minds, which had just relaxed, were immediately raised again.

Reorganize, reorganize. It sounds good, but in reality, once they are reorganized, they will probably be deprived of their military power immediately.
This is a matter of great importance to their safety and wealth. Why is His Highness speaking to them in a nice tone now? Isn't it because they actually control the Guangdong Army?

Once they lost their military power, the imperial court would know how to deal with these Guangdong generals who were suspected of rebellion. It would probably be a matter of a royal decree.
The generals looked unhappy, and then they all looked at Yan Yuncong below, hoping that he would speak up to support them.

But since the announcement of Ding Kuichu's rebellion, Yan Yuncong has been sitting on his seat like a clay sculpture.

Plead for them. Yan Yuncong still wants to find someone to plead for him.

Yan Yuncong had a blank expression on his face, pretending not to notice the gazes from the generals. But when he noticed that His Highness was also looking at him, his face straightened instantly, and he spoke loudly:

"The Qing army is coming with great force. This is a major event for the court. Generals should remember the court's kindness and cooperate in completing this reorganization."

The generals of Guangdong Province also looked a little unhappy when they heard this. They had obeyed Yan Yuncong's orders in the past few years, and now Yan Yuncong even advised them to obey the changes. Now that they were under the watchful eyes of the public, they didn't even have time to discuss it.

Seeing that Yan Yuncong was no longer reliable, the generals subconsciously looked at Guan Can, the most prestigious lieutenant general in the army.
Guan Can looked at His Highness above, gritted his teeth, and said

"I wonder how Your Highness intends to reorganize our Guangdong Army?" Upon hearing this, the generals nodded secretly. This was a major matter related to their future. How could they be willing to accept it without asking clearly?
"At this time, the court has already discussed that now that the center of the court has been established in Guangdong Province, it is not appropriate to establish the Guangdong-Guangxi Governor's Office."

"The court decided to abolish the Governor's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi, and to have Wujing Marquis Li Mingzhong build the Wuxiang Camp, and Wuan Marquis Jiao Lian build the Longxiang Camp of the Imperial Army. The Guangdong Army that originally belonged to the Governor's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi was to be divided into the two camps."

The faces of the generals of the Guangdong Army changed again when they heard this. This was actually to use the Gui Army and the Imperial Army to swallow up the entire Guangdong Army. Once the reorganization was completed, I was afraid that there would be no Guangdong Army in the court anymore.
His Royal Highness the Regent looked at the generals below in silence and spoke again
"During this reorganization, your military positions will not change. You will still be transferred according to your original positions. The lieutenant general will still be a lieutenant general, and the guerrillas will still be guerrillas."

"But we need to recruit some soldiers from the other two armies. This is also the proper meaning of making the army inside and outside the court one."

When the generals heard that he could still lead the army, their resistance eased a little, but they remained silent.
The Regent's eyes flickered slightly, but he continued to speak.

"This reorganization is to deal with the invasion of the Qing invaders, so only 7,000 more people will be incorporated into the Imperial Guards, and the remaining troops will all be incorporated into the Wujinghou Army and sent to the front line to prepare for the Qing invaders."

"I will not force you to reorganize this time. Those who wish to join the Wujinghou Army can fight against the Qing invaders and kill the enemy to gain merit. Those who join the Wuanhou Army can also protect the central government and serve the court."

"Generals, you can join any camp you wish, but the number of places in the Imperial Guard is limited, so you must think carefully."

Several cabinet ministers all had blank expressions on their faces, staring at the generals below whose expressions changed slightly.

However, Lu Daqi looked at His Highness the Regent, who had a calm expression, and his eyes were filled with more and more amazement. He was also a long-time official, so how could he not see that His Highness was using the strategy of killing three men with two peaches to divide the Guangdong Army?

His Highness has clearly thought out the plan to annex the Guangdong Army step by step.

Sure enough, the expressions of the Guangdong Army officers who had been silent all the time changed.

Not to mention that the Qing army is about to march south and join Li Mingzhong's army, ready to go to the front line to fight the Tartars at any time.
Without this clause, who wouldn't want to join the Imperial Guard?

They are the imperial guards. Although guarding the emperor and guarding the border are both serving the country, can they be the same?
The generals looked at each other, and then quickly looked away. The generals were still silent, but a figure had already walked out of the crowd.
"The court's reorganization of the army is a national priority. I have received great favor from Your Highness and am willing to obey the court's orders and carry out the reorganization."

Liu Yong's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, but his face was righteous and he spoke loudly.

"Okay, okay, I remember, you are General Liu, right?"

Zhu Lang carefully examined the face of the general who came out first, and then said:
"Yes, my name is Liu Yong. I never thought Your Highness knew my name."

Liu Yong was somewhat flattered at this moment, and quickly replied respectfully. He did not expect that His Highness could recognize him at a glance even though he was a city gate guard.

"General Liu, what are you talking about? You are all the candidates I personally selected. How can I not recognize you?"

His Royal Highness the Regent chuckled, glanced at the generals in the crowd who were already getting a little agitated, and smiled again.

"It is unknown which army General Liu is going to join"

"I am honored to be selected as a candidate by Your Highness. Your Highness has shown me great kindness. Even if I die, I will never be able to repay you. I am willing to join the Imperial Guards and use my sword to kill the evildoers and protect Your Highness."

Liu Yong had a righteous look on his face, but the generals below couldn't help cursing in their hearts, what about guarding His Highness? Aren't they afraid of death and dare not fight the Qing army? Do they want to join the imperial army and hide in the back to enjoy the good life?
The generals looked at Liu Yong and cursed in their hearts, but they couldn't help but feel annoyed.
How could this guy have gotten the upper hand? Now Liu Yong not only won the appreciation of His Highness, but also got the first place in the Imperial Guard. If the Imperial Guard places are taken up by others, what will they do?

We are both from the Guangdong Army. Why can you join the Imperial Army and enjoy the good life while hiding in the rear? I will go to the front line and fight the Tartars to the death.

The generals below were all ready to move, but before they could say anything, His Highness above spoke again.

"Okay, I know that the candidates I choose will be loyal and righteous ministers like General Liu."

"Since General Liu is determined to protect the central government, he will be incorporated into the Imperial Guards."

"General Liu will leave the city and lead the soldiers of his camp. Marquis Wu Jing has already led the Wuxiang Camp outside the Guangdong Army camp to cooperate with the reorganization of the Guangdong Army. After General Liu leads the soldiers, Marquis Wu Jing will arrange a new camp for General Liu."

"I respect your order"

Liu Yong's heart trembled, he bowed and responded, and then left the room accompanied by a guard in brocade clothes.

The generals in the hall were originally ready to line up and compete for the positions in the imperial guards. When they heard that Li Mingzhong's Gui army had appeared outside the Guangdong army camp, they no longer had any luck and lined up to request cooperation in the reorganization.
Zhu Lang looked at the generals who were marching out from below, and his eyes finally relaxed slightly.

At dawn, Liu Yong led more than 2,000 soldiers out of the Guangdong Army camp. All the soldiers were wearing single clothes and had nothing in their hands.
As soon as these soldiers left the camp, they were led by a group of Gui army soldiers to a new camp that had already been selected in the distance.
The sun was rising, the golden sunlight was shining on the earth, and in the morning light, groups of soldiers kept walking out of the Guangdong Army camp.
As more and more soldiers walked out of the camp, the Guangdong army that had occupied Guangdong Province for several years disappeared.

(End of this chapter)