Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 16 Desperate
Zhu Cilang has now transformed into an officer of the Beijing Camp, standing behind Li Banghua, accompanied by the Lin Changfeng brothers and his other two personal guards.

On the opposite side of them came two officers from the front 3,000 battalion, also with four fully armed confidants. The leading officer did not announce his name at first. Zhu Cilang looked at him and felt that he was even more powerful than Chang Denggui, and was not inferior in momentum. Even Lin Changping, a strong man who was as tall as an iron tower, could not compare to him in size.

Both sides were very cautious, keeping a distance of seven or eight steps from each other, and about sixty steps behind them were their respective troops.

Chang Denggui looked at the officer coming towards him and felt that the figure looked familiar, but at such a long distance, the other party was fully armored and had a cowhide mask on his face, so he couldn't see who he was at all.

Zhu Cilang stayed behind him mainly because he took into consideration that Zhou Shixian had no ability to command cavalry in combat, and had no experience in dealing with unexpected events on the battlefield, and could not provide a backup at critical moments.

Although Lin Changfeng is brave, he has not yet established prestige in the team. At the critical moment, he cannot command the soldiers of the Beijing Camp, which will be fatal for Zhu Cilang.

Zhou Shixian looked at the people in front of him who had already started chatting, his heart in his throat. He held the spear tightly in his hand, which trembled from time to time. As the sky gradually darkened, he became more and more nervous.

The leading officer of the Three Thousand Battalion looked at Li Banghua carefully for a long time, but ultimately failed to recognize him. The last time he saw this former Minister of War, now the Censor, was fourteen years ago.

"General, you said you were traveling south by imperial order. Do you have an imperial decree for me to see?"

"What position do you hold in the Three Thousand Camp?" Li Banghua snorted coldly, without any politeness, and even had a hint of anger on his face.

"I should have said it just now." The officer said again with his hands clasped together, but he did not repeat it.

"Since you know who you are, why do you dare to say such outrageous words?" Li Banghua narrowed his eyes. The aura of an official for many years did not need any extra words to express it. Instead, it came out directly.

"You're just a mere 3,000-man battalion commander. There are more red-haired turtles in the Yongding River than people like you. How dare you want to read the imperial edict? Do you really think I'm stupid?"

As soon as these words were spoken, one of the trusted soldiers brought by the leading officer became enraged and wanted to step forward, but just as he took a step, he was stopped by a strong arm.

Then, the officer nodded, clasped his hands together again towards Li Banghua, and said, "I am only concerned that someone might be taking advantage of the national crisis to impersonate the Chief Justice and tarnish your reputation. I beg for your understanding."

He looked at the five people behind Li Banghua, and then looked at the twenty armored soldiers sixty or seventy steps away. How could he not know that this was a tough nut to crack? If a conflict broke out rashly, he would not get any advantage.

As for what Li Banghua said, whether it was about him going south on the order or encountering rebels on the way, he did not believe it all. He just felt a little disappointed after confirming that it was the other party.

After all, Li Banghua's reputation for integrity and dedication is known to everyone inside and outside the country, so they probably won't be able to rob any money or property this time.

"It's not a long-term solution for you to wander around here with these soldiers. The north is full of bandits, and the surrounding area is in a state of severe decline and ruin. It's better for you to follow me south. When you reach Nanjing, I will assign you positions. I was previously in charge of the Nanjing Jingying."

Li Banghua spoke tentatively. He had already realized that the other party was not very hostile, but the other officer next to the other party seemed to have other ideas. His eyes were wandering and he was observing him.

"I will not hide the current situation from you. The capital has been captured by the rebels. Your Majesty boarded a ship in Tianjin and went to Nanjing by sea. I was the one who lured the enemy. After arriving in Nanjing, I will definitely reward you handsomely." Some news cannot be concealed, but a lot of news cannot be verified. Li Banghua must first gain their trust and then give them hope, so that those loyal to the Ming Dynasty can take the lead among this group of defeated soldiers.

"The capital city has indeed been breached by bandits!" The leading officer took a breath, his eyes solemn, as if he was thinking about something.

At the same time, another officer next to him was ready to take action. He stood on tiptoe and whispered something in his ear. Zhu Cilang observed them carefully, while also considering whether he should take action and when.

You must know that it was the imperial court system that maintained Li Banghua's prestige as the censor, and it was also the imperial court system that supported his prestige as the prince.

This is also the fundamental reason why Zhu Cilang was unwilling to break out on his own - the court system relied on legal system and moral principles on the surface, but in essence, it was maintained by violence.

If he lost his guards and his means of violence, he would be just a sixteen-year-old boy, and in this crumbling environment of the Ming Dynasty, he could only sit and wait for death.

"If you don't want to go south, I won't force you. Just make way for me. Otherwise, I won't be polite." Li Banghua's attitude suddenly became tough. He saw an opportunity to defeat the enemy without fighting from the other party's hesitation, but the prerequisite was that his momentum must be strong enough to scare people.

"Oh, make way? You're at your wit's end, and you still dare to act in front of me!"

Another officer, who had been whispering, suddenly sneered, then broke free from the leading officer's attempts to stop him and waved his hand behind him. Immediately, a dozen cavalrymen dismounted from their horses, removed their horseback bows, and lined up, drawing their bows and arrows, as if ready for a fight. These were clearly his trusted troops.

This group of defeated soldiers from the Beijing camp only had a temporary leader, but they were definitely not completely controlled by that leading officer, unless most of these soldiers were his subordinates.

But how could a small captain lead all his troops out when the army was defeated?

Besides, a centurion simply does not have that many people under his command, and the shortages in various departments of the Beijing Camp have long been unimaginable.

At the same time, Chang Denggui reacted immediately when he saw this. The eight cavalrymen in the front row took out heavy arrows with armor-piercing spikes and drew their bows and arrows directly on horseback. However, this triggered reactions from other defeated soldiers in the Beijing camp on all sides. Both sides refused to give in, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a full-scale confrontation.

The officer looked at the tense situation and seemed to feel that he had a great advantage. He immediately took two steps forward and said proudly to Li Banghua:

"General, I'm sorry. Today, your soldiers can leave, but you must stay. We brothers are not stupid and will not believe your lies. If we travel thousands of miles south, we may still be owed wages by the time we get there, and we may not even be able to reach Nanjing alive.

"You are aloof and have no money. It doesn't matter. I will kidnap you and hand you over to the King of Rebellion. You will definitely be given a high position and generous salary. The brothers will also naturally have a place to stay."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang's heart tightened, and he immediately turned his gaze to the other side, to the kind-hearted leading officer, only to find that the other party was also looking at him, and staring at him intently.

(End of this chapter)