My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 233: The merit is there, now it's just a matter of whether Chongzhen will reward me!
Although Zhang Xianzhong escaped, most of his troops didn't have time to react and ended up running straight into Zuo Liangyu's army.

At the same time, many veteran soldiers stayed behind to cover Zhang Xianzhong's retreat in order to buy him time to escape.

In the end, Zhang Xianzhong continued his escape with a thousand cavalrymen, leaving two thousand cavalrymen to resist Zuo Liangyu.

Seeing Zhang Xianzhong escape again, Zuo Liangyu turned ashen with rage and burst into a tirade of curses:
"Zhang Xianzhong, why the hell did you run away again?"

In Zuo Liangyu's view, it wasn't just Zhang Xianzhong who escaped, but also his own title!

However, Zuo Liangyu also understood that if he didn't deal with the two thousand men in front of him, he would have no way to catch up with Zhang Xianzhong.

Therefore, he could only suppress his anger and lead his cavalry like hungry wolves to charge at the two thousand men.

These veteran soldiers who stayed behind to cover the retreat were all determined to die, and their fighting power was naturally exceptionally fierce, which caught Zuo Liangyu's army off guard.

However, after realizing what was happening, Zuo Liangyu's cavalry ultimately gained the upper hand.

Zuo Liangyu led his personal guards, charging left and right through the enemy lines, wielding his long sword with fierce speed, and cutting down several veteran soldiers in succession.

Just as he was about to swing his sword again, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, as if it were being burned by fire.

He looked down and saw that he had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow!
It turned out that an old soldier had shot him in the shoulder with an arrow when he was not paying attention.

Blood gushed from the wound, staining his armor red.

"grown ups!"

Upon seeing this, the surrounding guards immediately gathered around and protected Zuo Liangyu in the middle.

Then, several guards rushed forward like tigers and hacked the old camp soldiers who were shooting arrows into mincemeat.

Amidst this chaos, Zhang Xianzhong seized the opportunity to escape even further with a thousand men.

Zuo Liangyu watched Zhang Xianzhong leave, so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet, but there was nothing he could do.

Finally, he angrily gave the order:
"Kill these bandits before us! Whether they surrender or not, leave no one alive!"

Soon, the two thousand veteran soldiers were completely wiped out by Zuo Liangyu's army.

After doing all this, Zuo Liangyu ignored the pain in his shoulder and hurriedly led the remaining troops back to the city of Xinyang.

At this time, the battle on the main battlefield was also nearing its end.

Although the soldiers of the old camp had some fighting ability, most of them came from peasant armies and were no match for Zuo Liangyu's elite troops.

When the Ming army displayed its extraordinary combat power, the soldiers of the old camp were instantly terrified.

With Zuo Liangyu leading his cavalry back in time, this thrilling war quickly came to an end.

Under the leaden sky, the last wisp of smoke dissipated slowly like a ghost, the pungent smell of gunpowder and the strong stench of blood seeming to be intertwined and permeating the air like invisible hands.

Looking out over Xinyang City, the scorched earth looked as if it had been devoured by demons, with the corpses of peasant soldiers and civilians scattered haphazardly on it, broken swords and halberds carelessly discarded, exuding a cold aura in the deathly silence.

In the distance, several withered trees twisted their bodies in the gale, emitting mournful sobs, as if mourning this brutal battle.

As Zuo Liangyu rode his warhorse, his gaze swept over the scene of devastation, and a mix of emotions welled up within him.

The exhilaration of victory surged through his veins like a warm current.

But the corpses of the fallen soldiers were like a heavy hammer, striking his heart hard.

However, the thought that this victory would bring him one step closer to his long-desired marquisate still excited Zuo Liangyu.

After all, defeating the bandits and defending Xinyang was a great achievement!

After winning this battle, the follow-up matters proceeded smoothly and methodically.

The primary task was to provide emergency medical treatment to the wounded soldiers.

Afterwards, all the surrendered prisoners were gathered together, and then a thorough cleanup of the battlefield was carried out.

At the same time, the bodies must be burned as soon as possible. It is the height of summer, and the weather is so hot that it is suffocating. Within a day, the bodies will emit a foul stench.

If not dealt with promptly, it could very likely trigger an epidemic, bringing a new wave of disaster to this war-torn land.

However, these seemingly ordinary tasks are actually fraught with difficulties in practice.

Because the number of prisoners who surrendered was far greater than imagined.

Although most of the peasant army had managed to escape by chance, in this world of war and famine, they knew that even if they escaped, it would be difficult to find a chance to survive in the wilderness. So they all turned back and obediently surrendered.

This brought the number of prisoners in front of them to over 50,000.

On a wide-open but pitted-up open space, the prisoners squatted or sat, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.

They whispered amongst themselves, their voices trembling, and an atmosphere of unease filled the air.

Cleaning up the battlefield was also a difficult task, after all, these peasant soldiers lived in extreme poverty, and even though there were many veteran soldiers mixed in with them, they were still destitute.

On the battlefield, apart from the corpses lying scattered everywhere, there was almost nothing worth collecting.

The tattered clothes scattered everywhere trembled in the wind, and the few weapons that remained were all rusty, as if telling the tragic story of their owners.

The soldiers cleaning up frowned as they turned over the bodies, grumbling inwardly.

I thought I could make some money, but I ended up getting nothing at all!

However, Zuo Liangyu no longer needed to worry about these trivial matters personally.

When Zuo Liangyu led his army to the walls of Xinyang, the sky suddenly darkened for some reason, casting a somber shadow over the city that had been ravaged by war.

The city walls were riddled with craters from artillery fire, resembling menacing faces.

The tattered flag swayed precariously in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if telling a story of the cruelty of war.

Wang Qiaonian and his troops had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing Zuo Liangyu finally appear, Wang Qiaonian quickly stepped forward, his words filled with gratitude.

"General Zuo, if it weren't for your timely arrival, Xinyang City would have already fallen, and we would all be dead. Thank you for saving Xinyang City and the tens of thousands of people inside!"

With the help of his personal guards, Zuo Liangyu dismounted, a humble smile on his face, and said:
"Lord Wang, you flatter me. Protecting our country and rescuing the people from their suffering is simply my duty."

Wang Qiaonian's official rank was much higher than Zuo Liangyu's, and as a civil official of integrity, he was quite prestigious in the court.

Therefore, Zuo Liangyu naturally treated him with utmost respect in his words and actions.

But at this moment, Zuo Liangyu was also secretly pondering.

This rescue of Xinyang not only lifted the siege of the city, but also accumulated valuable political capital for the company.

Perhaps Wang Qiaonian can put in a good word for him in court someday, helping him to rise to a higher position!
After all, I could be considered his savior, right?

Wang Qiaonian was filled with relief at surviving the ordeal and didn't think too much about what Zuo Liangyu was thinking.

Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

After all, if Zuo Liangyu hadn't come to the rescue, Xinyang City would probably have been razed to the ground by now, and he and the soldiers in the city would have been killed long ago.

For Wang Qiaonian, Zuo Liangyu was indeed his savior.

Immediately afterward, Wang Qiaonian glanced around and suddenly noticed that Zuo Liangyu's arm was bleeding profusely, with bright red blood dripping down his arm.

He couldn't help but exclaim:

"General Zuo is wounded! Come with me into the city quickly for treatment. The weather is hot now, and this wound cannot be delayed!"

Zuo Liangyu did not refuse and immediately followed Wang Qiaonian into the city.

Upon entering the city, the scene before him immediately warmed his heart.

It turned out that the people in the city had learned that Xinyang City had been successfully relieved of its siege, and they flocked to the streets, cheering and shouting with joy.

But it makes sense. Having repelled the bandits, their homes and property were preserved, and they had hope for the future. How could they not be overjoyed?

Seeing the cheers of the people, Zuo Liangyu's vanity was greatly satisfied, and his chest unconsciously straightened even more.

At the same time, the wealthy merchants in the city quickly and spontaneously organized themselves.

They knew that if they wanted to avoid the soldiers from entering the city and causing trouble, and to prevent their property from being looted, they had to take the initiative to reward the army outside the city.

As a result, the wealthy merchants generously donated large sums of money, grain, and food to the army outside the city.

Meanwhile, Wang Qiaonian had already brought Zuo Liangyu to his residence.

The trees in the courtyard swayed slightly in the cold wind, their branches rubbing against each other and making a rustling sound, as if welcoming a triumphant hero.

The butler had already received the news and prepared a sumptuous feast in advance.

After Zuo Liangyu had his arm wound treated with the help of his personal guards, he took his seat with Wang Qiaonian.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, a blush rose on Wang Qiaonian's face, and his words were full of emotion:

"To be honest, when the bandits besieged the city, the disparity in troop strength was too great. I really thought that Xinyang City was doomed. I only thought about dying for my country and fulfilling my duty."

"But unexpectedly, General Zuo's troops descended from the heavens and arrived just in time to rescue us. This victory truly felt like a dream!"

After hearing this, Zuo Liangyu felt even more respect for Wang Qiaonian.

Because when he arrived at the rescue, he witnessed Wang Qiaonian wearing armor and personally leading his troops to fight the bandits outside the city.

If Wang Qiaonian were a military general, this would not be surprising. However, as a civil official, his ability to remain calm and composed during a major battle, and even personally lead troops into combat, is truly admirable.

The next second, Zuo Liangyu quickly cupped his hands in praise:

"Lord Wang, please don't be so modest. In my opinion, your bravery in fighting the enemy and defending the city during the defense period is no less than mine."

Wang Qiaonian laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying:
"Lord Zuo, please don't be so polite. If it weren't for you leading the army into battle and turning the tide, Xinyang City would probably have been breached by the bandits long ago, and I would have died without a burial place."

"You deserve the greatest credit in this battle!"

"I will certainly state your achievements in detail in my memorial."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liangyu immediately beamed with joy.

He usually wrote his own reports of victory, but they were often exaggerated and contained a lot of embellishment, so the court never really believed them.

Although he had achieved a great victory, he was still worried that the court would not believe his report and would think he was exaggerating his achievements. However, if Wang Qiaonian explained the matter in detail in his memorial, then he would not have to worry about this problem.

After all, Wang Qiaonian was honest, upright, and incorruptible, and had always enjoyed a good reputation in the court. The court would certainly believe his words.

Thinking of this, Zuo Liangyu quickly raised his wine cup:

"In that case, I thank Lord Wang."

The two then clinked glasses again, the crisp sound of the glasses echoing in the room, creating a joyful atmosphere.

In the afternoon, the battlefield statistics were roughly released.

In this battle, more than 20,000 peasant soldiers were annihilated, and more than 50,000 were captured. They also captured Zhang Xianzhong's adopted sons, including Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu, as well as other high-ranking generals.

However, the amount of grain and armor captured was pitifully small.

However, there was nothing that could be done, since the peasant army was already extremely poor.

All of these spoils naturally belonged to Zuo Liangyu.

In this war, Zuo Liangyu lost more than 3,000 men, and his troops' food and equipment were also greatly depleted and urgently needed to be replenished.

Zuo Liangyu decided to incorporate the strong and capable prisoners who were willing to surrender into his army to bolster his forces.

Zuo Liangyu calculated that with these newly added troops and the rewards brought by this battle, his power would grow even stronger, and he might take another big step closer to the title of marquis.

However, the matter is far from over.

Because there were still no fewer than 100,000 peasant soldiers wandering around the surrounding areas outside the city.

If they are not gathered and subdued as soon as possible, these people are very likely to wreak havoc on the surrounding areas again.

This is also why it is difficult to completely eradicate the bandits!
After all, they are numerous, their whereabouts are unpredictable, and they are difficult to control.

When they are starving, they will plunder the surrounding villages and cities again.

Wang Qiaonian and Zuo Liangyu were well aware of this, so their next plan was to quickly gather the peasant armies who had fled to the surrounding areas, and then transport them to Liaodong in accordance with the imperial court's regulations.

But this presents a thorny problem: the food issue.

It should be noted that Henan had suffered from drought for many consecutive years, resulting in no harvest and barren fields, with no surplus food for these peasant soldiers.

To gather these 100,000-plus peasant soldiers, it was necessary to provide them with enough food; otherwise, the plan to relocate and defend the border would be impossible to implement.

Fortunately, Zhu Cilang had already considered this point, so he had previously ordered that not all the taxes collected by the provinces should be transported to the capital, but a portion should be left to be used as military pay and emergency food.

For example, a large portion of the tax revenue from Anhui is transported to Beijing, while a smaller portion is stored in Hefei.

In this way, Wang Qiaonian only needed to communicate and coordinate with Anhui to obtain a continuous supply of grain and fodder.

Upon hearing this news, Zuo Liangyu finally felt relieved and secretly rejoiced at the Crown Prince's foresight.

In addition, after winning a battle, rewarding the soldiers who have won and providing compensation for the wounded and injured is also of paramount importance.

In the past, after the Ming army fought against the peasant army, the soldiers never received the rewards they deserved. The families of the soldiers who died on the battlefield were left destitute, and the wounded soldiers did not receive proper medical treatment.

This led to the Ming army being passive and unwilling to fight to the death.

Zuo Liangyu suffered heavy losses in this major battle. If the court does not provide rewards and compensation, the morale of the army will surely be dampened.

This is also a key indicator of whether the imperial court can ensure that the Ming army in the Henan region can wholeheartedly serve in suppressing the bandits.

In short, they have already made a contribution; it's just a matter of whether Emperor Chongzhen is willing to pay them!

That very night, the two secret letters were sent to the capital by express courier.

Two days later, Beijing.

That morning, Zhu Cilang, as usual, went to the palace to pay his respects to Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou.

In ancient times, whether they were crown princes or princes, they had to greet the emperor and empress every day. This was a manifestation of filial piety and an important part of court etiquette.

Now that he had transmigrated to this world, Zhu Cilang naturally had to follow this rule.

After exchanging greetings, Zhu Cilang accompanied Emperor Chongzhen for a cup of tea in the Imperial Garden.

Just as Zhu Cilang was about to leave, a figure suddenly burst in, shouting:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, great news! Victory in Henan!"

Upon hearing this, the father and son looked up simultaneously and saw Li Ruolian running over with a joyful expression, holding two letters in her hands.

Emperor Chongzhen seemed somewhat confused, but Zhu Cilang had a rough idea of ​​what was going on.

If nothing unexpected happens, Zuo Liangyu should have won a great victory.

Immediately afterwards, Li Ruolian came to the two of them and respectfully presented the letter:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, news of a great victory has arrived from Henan! General Zuo Liangyu, with 20,000 troops, has decisively defeated the enemy's 200,000-strong army!"

"What? Let me see it!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen could not contain his joy and immediately gave his orders.

Wang Chengen immediately stepped forward, took the letters from Li Ruolian, and then handed the two letters to Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen respectively.

Upon receiving the letter, Emperor Chongzhen eagerly opened it. He found that the letter was written by Zuo Liangyu and contained a detailed account of the Battle of Xinyang.

And how he defeated Zhang Xianzhong's 200,000-strong army with only 20,000 troops.

Of course, he also emphasized his contributions in this battle.

After reading it, Emperor Chongzhen's smile deepened.

Because he truly did not expect that Zuo Liangyu could achieve such remarkable military exploits.

Although Zuo Liangyu had won battles before, he had never achieved such a brilliant record.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang was also reading a letter written by Wang Qiaonian, which was also about the Battle of Xinyang.

After reading their respective letters, the two exchanged them for another to read.

After a moment, Chongzhen put down the letter and said with a sigh:

"I never expected that Zuo Liangyu would make such a great contribution. It seems that I really underestimated him before."

Zhu Cilang put down the letter and replied:
“Father, it’s not that you underestimate Zuo Liangyu, but that the court’s finances were tight in the past and could not provide enough money and grain. That’s why Zuo Liangyu deliberately preserved his strength and was unwilling to serve the court wholeheartedly.”

"In addition, the Emperor's previous rewards and punishments for the soldiers were not fair enough, and he was somewhat harsh and ungrateful, so they were even less willing to risk their lives."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen looked embarrassed. Although he knew that what Zhu Cilang said was true, these words made him feel awkward.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang asked:
"Father, how do you plan to reward Zuo Liangyu and Wang Qiaonian? They have made such great contributions, it would be difficult to convince the people if they were not rewarded."

Zhu Cilang had already noticed that although Zuo Liangyu's letter did not directly claim credit, it was full of boasting about his military achievements, clearly indicating that he wanted to gain credit and rewards.

In addition, the letter also mentioned that the losses were enormous, with more than 3,000 dead and wounded, bringing the total number of casualties to as many as 4,000 when combined with previous losses.

Although these lost soldiers can be replaced by peasant army prisoners, the fallen soldiers urgently need to be compensated, and after such a great battle, the entire army also needs to be rewarded. These things need to be implemented urgently, otherwise it will be difficult to maintain the army's combat effectiveness.

Emperor Chongzhen naturally understood this principle, and therefore quickly nodded and said:
"What you say makes sense. So tell me, how should we reward them?"

In the past, Emperor Chongzhen would have been extremely meticulous about such matters, but now that the imperial treasury was full, he was no longer so petty.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Cilang said:
"Your subject previously promised Zuo Liangyu that if he could kill Zhang Xianzhong or Li Zicheng, he would be made a marquis; if he could kill both of them at the same time, he would be made a duke."

"Although he hasn't completed these two tasks yet, after such a great victory, it wouldn't be unreasonable to bestow upon him the title of Earl."

A count?
Emperor Chongzhen stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

"If that's the case, then let's bestow upon him the title of Earl."

"If he can really kill Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng in the future, what's wrong with bestowing upon him a dukedom?"

Zhu Cilang continued:
"As for Wang Qiaonian, he is currently the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, a second-rank official. It's not easy for him to be promoted any further. How about we grant him the title of Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and also bestow upon one of his sons the title of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"In addition, the soldiers' pensions and rewards should not be neglected."

"This is the biggest blow the Ming army has inflicted on the bandits in recent years. Now, I'm afraid all the officials and soldiers in the country are waiting for the court's response."

"If the army is not properly compensated and rewarded this time, it will likely discourage the soldiers, let alone encourage them to be loyal to the country."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen felt a wave of helplessness.

Because these words were clearly an accusation that he had not properly cared for the army in the past.

If the previous dynasty had no money or food, how could it possibly provide relief to the army?

Thinking of this, Chongzhen became somewhat unhappy, then he waved his hand and said:
"Alright, alright, you don't need to consult me ​​about this kind of thing. You can make the decision yourself."

"Anyway, it won't make any difference whether I say it or not."

Zhu Cilang found this somewhat amusing, but said nothing more.

Moreover, he already had a plan in mind.

The compensation will be provided in accordance with the previously established standards.

That is, ordinary soldiers who died in battle received a pension of one hundred taels of silver each, while officers who died in battle received a minimum of three hundred taels of silver.

In addition, each soldier who participated in the battle and survived was rewarded with thirty taels of silver.

These funds do not need to be transported from the capital; they can be directly allocated from the tax revenue of each province.

Although Zhu Cilang planned to take action against Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong next year, preparations had already begun.

He had previously ordered the mobilization of troops from several provinces surrounding Henan.

That is, the troops from several provinces, including Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Hubei, have initially formed an encirclement.

Ensure that Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng can only cause trouble in the Henan area!
They also stockpiled grain, troops, and money locally in preparation for the upcoming major battle next year.

As the saying goes, before the soldiers and horses move, food and grass go first.

Zhu Cilang wanted to make ample preparations and then defeat Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng in one fell swoop the following year!

(End of this chapter)