Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 165: Insatiable Greed

The next morning, the sound of horse hooves came from afar and gradually entered the Xinzi Army camp, and then came to the baggage camp.

The person who came was a military envoy, who summoned Xin Qiji to the central army to discuss matters.

Xin Qiji sat like a stone in front of the military envoy for a quarter of an hour before he stood up as if he had made up his mind. His joints creaked and he exhaled heavily.

"I'll go with you."

Most of the Tianping Army was located north of the Jun River, and the Tianwang Army was no exception. Although the Tianwang Army suffered heavy casualties when it was ambushed that night, Geng Jing was still clever. He simply used the excuse of separating the military and civilians to gather the troops and gathered all the scattered soldiers into his own Tianwang Army.

This certainly caused resentment among some generals, but wasn't it covered up by Liu Huai's words?
Even though Geng Jing was afraid of power falling into the hands of others, he had to admit that Liu Dalang was a true hero because he stepped forward in times of crisis and left freely after the success.

Not only Geng Jing has to bear the responsibility for this, but the entire Tianping Army has to bear the responsibility.

As for Liu Huai's words, whether you agree with them or not, you have to try them.

Otherwise, if I get beaten like this again, it’s hard to say whether I can survive.

Therefore, during Geng Jing's military reorganization, the generals of the Tianping Army maintained great cooperation, and the Tianwang Army expanded rapidly, soon becoming a large force of nearly 8,000 people.

People like Shi Baiju, Ye Shichan, Liang Atai and others simply gave up their independent status and joined the Heavenly King Army as a leader.

During this period, Geng Jing finally got a taste of what it means to be trusted, and he began to feel a little proud.

"...I saw He Laosan rushing towards us from a distance, and he immediately killed the Fifth Boss. My useless men were terrified and scattered. I had no choice but to personally meet him with my personal guards..."

As soon as he approached the central army, Xin Qiji heard a commotion.

There were many people meeting today, so they did not hold the meeting in the central military tent. Instead, they put up a circle of curtains in front of the tent and lined up many stools in the open air, only distinguishing between superiors and subordinates.

Xin Qiji heard clearly that the person who was talking and bragging at this time was the Taishan bandit Pingshan Hu.

This person is really shameless. After abandoning the army and fleeing, an ordinary person would not just run away in shame, but also would not come to the central army with confidence to brag about his fictitious battle record.

But there is a reason for Pingshan Hu.

When Geng Jing was reorganizing his army, he disorganized several hundred elite Taishan bandits and stuffed them into the Heavenly King's Army. Some bandit leaders even changed their allegiance and became captains and leaders of the Heavenly King's Army.

This can't be tolerated.

In Pingshan Hu's view, Geng Jing was taking advantage of the situation to rob and annex his comrades, and he had lost his loyalty.

Regardless of whether this reason is far-fetched or not, it is undeniable that loyalty is really effective among the Tianping Army, which generally comes from the lower class.

For example, after Xin Qiji led his army to pursue the Jin army, Li Tieqiang could be regarded as the most powerful force in the Tianping Army. But after Geng Jing returned to the army, Li Tieqiang immediately gave up the power. Why did Geng Jing do that?
It's all based on deep sense of loyalty.

So Pingshan Hu had to brag about his hard work that night, creating the illusion that he was a meritorious general, that he had fought hard but ultimately lost by a single move. This was a subtle attack, on the one hand, to morally blackmail and get those hundreds of men back; on the other hand, it was a reminder to the other generals that if he, a "meritorious" one, could be annexed, what about the others? Why don't you join me in putting pressure on Geng Jing?

But so many days had passed since the incident, and no matter how confusing the events of that night were, they had almost been clarified. How could the generals not know that Pingshan Hu had abandoned his army and fled?
Only Geng Jing remained silent at the main seat, causing the others to be unable to speak.

When Xin Qiji walked into the enclosure, Pingshan Huzheng was playing the instrument with great pleasure.

"... I fought He Lao San for three hundred rounds, but there was no clear winner. Lü Laizi was such a loser that he actually fled before the fight even started. I was helpless and could only go and enforce the military law. But without me, He Lao San found an opportunity and defeated our vanguard in one fell swoop. Sigh..."

Before he could finish his words, Pingshan Hu saw that the generals who were whispering had stopped talking and looked towards the entrance of the curtain, and he also shut his mouth instantly.

Xin Qiji came to Geng Jing holding a heavy sword, first saluted respectfully, and then sat down in the first seat on the right, which belonged to him.

"Wu Lang, you've worked hard on the journey." Geng Jing didn't waste any words and asked directly, "Did you gain anything from your visit to the Loyalty Army this time?"

Xin Qiji knew that small meetings were held for big matters and large meetings were held for small matters. A meeting like today's that gathered many generals was destined to produce no results, but he still wanted to show his attitude at such a meeting.

"Reply to the governor." Xin Qiji stood up again and saluted respectfully: "I only feel a sense of fear and sweat pouring down my back."

"Oh?"

"You, a big blue rhinoceros, are actually afraid?" Someone frowned and spoke immediately.

Xin Qiji looked around and asked, "Do you know how long it took for Liu Dalang of the Loyal Army, who led nearly 3,000 soldiers, to attack over 4,000 Jin troops in Yizhou, from the time they engaged in battle to the momentous victory?"

Without waiting for others to answer, Xin Qiji took the initiative to reveal the answer.

"Only half an hour."

"You have to understand that the Jin bandits not only had a depleted army, but also the Yizhou garrison troops who were recuperating, the Jurchen cavalry who were already in dire straits, and the elite armored cavalry, not to mention figures like He Boqiu. Combined, they only managed to hold out for half an hour."

After Xin Qiji told the generals of the Tianping Army the news, he paused for a moment, as if he was organizing his words, or as if he was waiting for them to digest the news.

Geng Jing sat on the mat with his arms and legs spread out. After a moment's silence, he said, "Wu Lang, do you have anything else to say?"

Xin Qiji bowed and replied: "I only want to say one thing, that is, Liu Dalang is right, and judging by the fighting power of the Loyalty Army, Liu Dalang is a little too right. If the Tianping Army wants to survive, it can only follow this path."

At this time, Pingshan Hu laughed out loud, "Xin Wu, are you scared out of your wits? The Yizhou Jin bandits have been hunted down by the heroes of our Tianping Army and are already exhausted. How can Liu Dalang be called a hero for defeating such an enemy? Is he worthy of your boasting for him?"

Pingshan Hu had to say this, because if everyone agreed with Liu Huai's approach, the independent status of the various armies would be reduced, and at the very least, the soldiers who were swallowed up by the Tianwang Army would never be recovered.

Xin Qiji seemed to have turned a deaf ear to Geng Jing, but he spoke earnestly to him, "Jiedu, if the Tianping Army is determined to strengthen itself, then people like Pingshan Hu, who deserted the army in battle and ravaged civilians on a daily basis, must not be allowed to live no matter what. They must be executed to uphold military law!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the generals of the Tianping Army were cheered up and looked at Pingshan Hu with a sneer.

(End of this chapter)