Tiger Guards

Chapter 363 Unaware of the Crime

The reorganization of Guo Si's former troops went very smoothly. Referring to Li Jue's cronies, Zhao Ji selected a thousand men to serve as daredevils and placed them under the command of Gao Yanglong.

Among the remaining officials, soldiers, and able-bodied commoners, finding a good person was even more difficult than finding one like Li Jue.

Therefore, Zhao Ji demoted them all to slavery in one fell swoop.

Then, from among them, they selected seven hundred young men who had parents, children, and were skilled in battle, and placed them under the command of the children.

Finally, he left behind 700 Tiger Infantry and 300 Xiongnu Yi, and these 1,700 men formed the basic armed force for Jiatong's governance of Youfufeng.

Jia Tong himself also has the support of horse slaves and fellow villagers, so the field force that can be mobilized in Youfufeng in the future is set at two thousand men.

Jia Tong remained in Mei Wu, while Zhao Ji relocated more people.

Although this year's relocation objectively wasted productivity, only after the relocation can the punishment of being reduced to slavery be truly implemented.

If they remain in their current positions as slaves... they will not be able to wait for Ma Teng and Han Sui to take the initiative to advance their troops, and these people will actively collude with Ma Teng and Han Sui.

At the same time, Zhao Ji also made adjustments to the other generals in Guanzhong, except for Duan Wei and Zhang Xiu.

Anyone with parents and children present will be assigned to the Sanfu Garrison and remain in Sanfu.

The remaining upright bachelors with no weaknesses, who were not suitable for settling old scores and forming suicide squads or slaves, were instead selected from the elite infantry and cavalry and incorporated into the 'National Protection Army'.

The unsuccessful bachelors, along with their wives (real or fake), were scattered and moved to Hongnong to carry out military settlement work.

As military settlements, they could obtain household land and household land, which was much better than other government-owned tenant farmers.

As for whether military land will be allocated and soldiers will receive a fixed annual stipend, that will depend on the specific arrangements for next year.

There weren't enough people to serve as government tenants and fuel for the organization's development, nor could there be enough to support so many military landowners.

Those selected into the National Protection Army and the garrison troops stationed in the Three Auxiliary Regions received military farmland, household farmland, and land for personal use; however, the two thousand-man suicide squads did not enjoy these benefits.

During wartime, they were suicide squads; during the off-season, they were government slaves, required to obey orders and participate in various production activities.

The entire Guanzhong region was in dire need of reconstruction, and both high-ranking military officers and ordinary soldiers and civilians at the grassroots level were severely lacking in a sense of security.

Zhao Ji entered Guanzhong via the Qin Straight Road and quelled the rebellions of Li Jue and Guo Si within ten days, causing a dramatic change in the situation in Guanzhong.

In particular, the fact that Zhao Ji killed Guo Si's mid- to high-ranking military officers in a duel was even more effective than the mass execution of thousands of rebel soldiers.

After roughly completing the reorganization of the army, Zhao Ji passed through Pingling on his way back from Mei County and besieged the Su family's fortified village.

Last year, Li Jue and Guo Si's siege of the Su family failed, and this time Zhao Ji's sudden encirclement... was purely to eliminate hidden dangers and set rules for the scholars in Guanzhong.

In the future, when the refugees from the Three Auxiliary Regions return, those who are willing to join the army will be the good citizens in Zhao Ji's eyes, the cornerstone of the country; among them will be many powerful and educated people who have fled, and these people will naturally reclaim the ancestral lands that they have occupied for generations.

Whether it's local officials or ordinary people, they would naturally assume it's the right thing to do.

However, this would disrupt Zhao Ji's military land system, and by eliminating the Su family along the way, it would deprive the powerful clans and scholars of military support in Guanzhong in the future.

Moreover, the attack must be swift; otherwise, even if the Su family is dismantled, a letter of appeal from strategist Zhao Qi will leave behind hidden dangers.

After experiencing the reigns of Dong Zhuo and Li Jue, the various armies in Guanzhong, regardless of their previous backgrounds, had all developed a habit of bloodshed and disregard for the law.

He readily obeyed Zhao Ji's sudden order.

Although the Su family knew that Zhao Ji had a bad criminal record and was prepared for battle, they did not expect that Zhao Ji would gather troops under the banner of "protecting the country and punishing Yuan" and then suddenly surround the Su family's fortified village.

Jia Tong remained in Mei Wu, accompanied by Pei Mao, the Prefect of Jingzhao, who was naturally unwilling to see the Su family destroyed.

Seeing Zhao Ji mobilize his troops, and the two suicide squads eager to fight, Pei Mao came to advise after the generals had left on their orders: "Grand Marshal, the Su family is without fault. If we continue to attack like this, we may lose the hearts of the wise men of the world."

Zhao Ji, standing on his chariot, heard this and looked at Pei Mao approaching on horseback. He asked in return, "Is Prince Chen virtuous? How do my virtue and humility compare to Prince Chen's?"

Pei Mao was speechless. Zhao Ji then asked, "How does my kindness to the officials and people of the Three Auxiliary Regions compare to the kindness of King Chen in protecting his people? The officials and people of Chen were so eager to welcome Yuan Shu and so decisive in betraying King Chen. It doesn't seem like a hasty decision."

Seeing this, Pei Mao could only ask, "If the Su family surrenders, how does the Grand Marshal intend to deal with them?"

"All members of the Su family and their relatives by marriage were moved to Xihe County and made commoners. Their descendants for three generations were not allowed to hold official positions. If they wanted to hold official positions, they could only join the army."

Zhao Ji thought for a moment and then said, “We can take vehicles to transport grain. Other livestock, troops, money, and goods should be left behind as military supplies. As for the charges, we have no idea what crimes they are guilty of. When I led troops to pacify the Three Auxiliary Regions, the Su family sat idly by and watched the outcome, which is disloyal to the country. Now that I have gathered the fierce and powerful troops of Guanzhong to march to Guandong to fight against Yuan Shikai and protect the country, the Su family is preparing troops to defend themselves and intends to resist, which is unjust to the state. Such a family that does not know loyalty and righteousness will be difficult for Jia Wenzhen to control after I leave.”

Having been accused of such a serious offense, Pei Mao immediately knew better than to speak, and said with deep agreement, "It was my oversight."

This is not something that can be persuaded by him to surrender, and the Su family will surrender.

This branch of the Su family can be traced back to Su Jian, the Right General and Marquis of Pingling, who was enfeoffed as a marquis for his military achievements during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. The family originally lived in Duling, Jingzhao, but moved to Pingling after being enfeoffed. Their branches are spread throughout the surrounding counties and towns, and their marriage network is even more complex. Last year, they successfully withstood the siege of Li Jue and Guo Si, and after the battle, even more people came to join them.

With a full mobilization this year, we can have six or seven thousand people.

In terms of strength, they easily outmatch the two thousand men led by You Fufeng Jiatong.

Most importantly, the scope of relatives and scholars by marriage is too broad, and when you include those who are on good terms with the scholars... this means that when Jia Tong is to establish the Right Fufeng Prefectural Government, the county officials he recruits will inevitably be heavily infiltrated by the Su family's faction!
Without recruiting these people, it would be impossible to win over the people and difficult to govern the prefecture.

Only by completely eradicating the bandits can Jia Tong concentrate on suppressing them and also focus on defending against Ma Teng's attacks.

With Su Shi alive, Zhao Ji was very worried that Jia Tong might suddenly die of illness, be shot by a stray arrow while suppressing bandits, or die mysteriously when the city gates were wide open during Ma Teng's attack.

Pei Mao wisely remained silent, and Zhao Ji led the battlefield to the front lines, where two groups of daredevils were already fully armored and lined up.

Li Ying and Gao Yanglong rode up to greet him. Zhao Ji pointed at the Su family's fortified village and asked, "I have deployed three thousand men to suppress you with a rain of arrows. Can you take it down in one battle?"

Gao Yanglong was still hesitating when Li Ying glanced at the fortified village and the throng of people above it, gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "We will definitely defeat it in one battle."

Zhao Jilu smiled and asked in return, "What happened last year?"

"The various armies are simply preserving their strength and dare not fight to the death."

Li Ying spoke with a self-deprecating tone, glancing at the location of the fortified village: "I wonder how we'll lose our merit after destroying the fortified village?"

"Men, women, young and old, all within the fortress, regardless of life or death, are all considered first-class. You will divide the credit equally. I don't care how each team divides the credit within its own ranks. I have three requirements."

"Please speak frankly, Grand Marshal."

"First, minimize bloodshed after capturing the city walls; second, do not loot property, that's none of your business; third, try to attack in one fell swoop and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop. Otherwise, repeated attacks and heavy casualties on both sides are not what I want to see."

Zhao Ji spoke in a calm tone, stating his views and requirements: "Tell every soldier who dares to die that I will do my best to treat the wounded and provide compensation to the families of the dead. I will also collect the bodies of the fallen and bury them in Longshan Cemetery, where I will hold annual sacrifices. I will also go forward with the archers to assist in the battle, and if anyone retreats, I will shoot them immediately."

"I've given you the best armor and equipment. Don't let me down. I'll give you a special meal tonight."

Zhao Ji pointed to the Su family's fortified village: "I'll give you half of the wine inside."

"Grand Marshal, rest assured. If we fail to breach this fortress, I will bring you my head!"

Li Ying bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, while Gao Yanglong took a deep breath and also bowed, saying, "I accept your command."

Gao Yanglong did not need to lead the charge; his task was to lead the supervisory team to enforce battlefield discipline and organize manpower to drag the wounded soldiers away.

The one who truly led the charge and commanded from the front line was Li Ying, who had a wealth of experience in on-the-spot combat.

Gao Yanglong and Li Ying returned to their respective teams and began to proclaim Zhao Ji's orders and promises.

He led two heavily armed thousand-man squads forward slowly, with more than three thousand archers drawn from various armies following closely behind.

Zhao Ji also changed into his personal chariot, surrounded by his iron cavalry, and began to move with the procession.

Li Ying rode at the forefront of the suicide squad, using his spear to suppress the advance of each team and maintain a straight line as much as possible.

The suicide squad was followed by a mounted commando team, and then by groups of archers.

This battle was almost the easiest one Zhao Ji had commanded since joining the army, to the point that he could act as a combat unit rather than the command core.

Each suicide squad of a hundred men and each archer team, large or small, was commanded by experienced military officers and veterans.

They were able to cooperate and advance together, even in the initial or first joint operations, they were able to respond to each other.

The suicide squads of a hundred men each had no decent siege equipment, only the most rudimentary wooden ladders, and not even many shields.

The attack formation of 5,000 men advanced like a tidal wave, putting immense pressure on the defenders.

The Su clan patriarch and the heads of various families gathered near the gate tower. Unable to withstand the pressure, they actually opened the gate on their own initiative.

The various tribes defending the wall began to discard their bows, crossbows, spears, and halberds, voluntarily abandoning their weapons.

After all, Zhao Ji was the Grand Marshal recognized by the court and the emperor, and he would have a bottom line in his actions; unlike bandits like Li Jue and Guo Si.

And so, the difficult problem was passed on to Zhao Ji.

The suicide squads were eagerly waiting, their emotions running high.

Zhao Ji could only come to the front of the battle line and say to Li Ying and the convicted officials who had surrounded him, "My promise will not change. If they surrender now, their merits will still be counted, without being reduced by one rank! Half of the wine will also be given to you!"

(End of this chapter)