Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 57 Another Front
After Zhu Cilang boarded the ship and left Nanjing, Zhou Shixian quickly dispatched more people to continue keeping an eye on the two generals Zuo Liangyu and Liu Liangzuo, who had troops under their command. Then he took a detour via the Qinhuai River and quietly came to a remote mansion in the outer city east of Nanjing.

He only brought three personal guards with him and walked in plain clothes the entire way. He did not ride a horse to show off so as not to attract the attention of anyone.

"Jingzhong, are the people you found reliable? I don't want ugly people." Zhou Shixian asked in a deep voice after listening to the report from his trusted subordinate.

"Master, they are absolutely reliable. They are all desperate criminals with good martial arts skills. I have already screened them. They all have families as hostages. As long as they are trained by the Yebushou sent by His Majesty, they will definitely be able to do the job."

Zhou Jingzhong, who had a scar on his right cheek that stretched to the corner of his mouth and was as thick as two fingers, was a servant of the Zhou family who had followed Zhou Shixian out of the capital. He leaned over and whispered with a smile:
"Your Majesty won't allow us to use those with military backgrounds, but the task force's mission is extraordinary and can't afford any mistakes. I have no choice but to recruit these people. When the time comes, I won't worry if they won't obey once the military sticks are applied."

After hearing this, Zhou Shixian said nothing. He knew that Zhu Cilang wanted to use this force that most people didn't know about to do something shameful. Selecting people from the current army would involve too many people, which was a taboo.

Zhou Jingzhong looked at his young master and couldn't help but feel a little worried, fearing that the other party was not ruthless enough and could not suppress those mixed guys.

Soon, the two men walked into the backyard of this remote mansion. There were more than a dozen fully armed and elite Jinyiwei guarding the backyard door. Inside, there were more than fifty men of different body shapes and appearances. Some looked murderous, but some looked very cowardly and inconspicuous.

This is the secret base that Zhou Shixian found specifically for the Jinyiwei. He arranged secret sentries within a mile around the mansion. As long as a stranger approaches, the people inside can detect it at the first time. The defense is very strict.

The officer guarding the mansion saw that the visitor was Commander Zhou Shixian and immediately stepped forward to greet him, clasping his hands and saying:

"My Lord, everyone is here, just waiting for your lecture."

In the eyes of his confidants, Zhou Shixian is still the son-in-law of the emperor. This identity implies his relationship with the current emperor, which is much more pleasing to his ears than the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhou Shixian nodded and stepped forward. The officer who had seemed respectful just now immediately put on a fierce look when he faced the others, blowing his nose, glaring, and shouting loudly.

At this time, the fifty or so thugs, bandits, defeated soldiers, coolies, even criminals in prison, and refugees from the north who had been recruited from various places in Nanzhili not long ago were standing in the yard, talking among themselves. They did not raise their heads until they heard the loud shout.

Immediately afterwards, they saw a young man in plain clothes walking up, but those fully armed and aggressive Jinyiwei had to follow behind him.

So, everyone gathered together without any prior arrangement and cast all their eyes on Zhou Shixian.

However, when Zhou Shixian approached, someone with a brave and sharp eye immediately took a look at him and saw that he was a young boy.

Most of these people have been in the local area for many years and have seen all kinds of people. Although Zhou Shixian has extraordinary knowledge due to his background, he is still very young, so he is naturally seen through by these knowledgeable people at a glance.

"Everyone, be quiet! This is the commander of the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty, and also the imperial consort of the Ming Dynasty. Anyone who dares to make a noise again will not be forgiven."

After the ferocious officer finished yelling, he immediately turned around and came to Zhou Shixian, bowed and said:

"My Lord, these are guys who don't know the rules. Please teach them a lesson."

Zhou Shixian nodded, raised his hand and waved, signaling the other party to step aside, then he looked solemnly around at the people in front of him, and said in a deep voice:
"I don't have that much nonsense to say, just two points."

As he spoke, he held up two fingers:

"First, those who are willing to stay will receive a monthly salary of three taels and five cents from the Jinyiwei, with no deductions. Each mission will earn you fifteen taels, and if you perform meritorious service, you will receive additional rewards. However, you must obey orders and do everything without asking why.

Secondly, this is a life-threatening job. Your families are in my hands. If anyone dares to betray me, defect to the enemy, or leak the secrets of the Imperial Guard, they will be killed.”

After Zhou Shixian finished speaking, he stared at the people in front of him again. When he sent people to recruit them, he had already told them that this was a life-threatening matter. Only those with courage can come, and as long as they are alive, they can make a living for a long time.

"You think I'm risking my life for three taels of silver a month?" A burly man with a face full of stubble suddenly sneered in the crowd.
"When I was in the north, I could easily make a lot of money by robbing people. I've even tasted the sweetness of the daughters of wealthy families. Hahahaha..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the others began to whisper among themselves, some seemingly agreeing with the statement. Most of them had families to support, and while three taels and five cents a month was a lot, it still seemed a bit short of what they could afford if they risked their lives. These people came from all walks of life, newly recruited and untrained. Although they were intimidated by the surrounding Jinyiwei, they still acted somewhat casually.

After they are finally recruited, they still need to undergo training to ensure that everyone has learned to obey orders unconditionally before they can be sent out to perform tasks.

Seeing this, Zhou Shixian frowned slightly and stared coldly at the smiling bearded man in front of him. The officer and Zhou Jingzhong were about to attack, but were stopped by Zhou Shixian.

This guy was a desperado, his hands were already stained with blood. But when he was stared at by Zhou Shixian, who had been trained for half a year, had killed people with his own hands, had seen Lin Yongan kill an entire family, and was a very arrogant man, he couldn't help but feel a chill on his back.

After all the people in front of him were silent, not daring to make a sound, Zhou Shixian finally gathered enough strength, then gently raised his hand, summoned the Jinyiwei officer, and whispered:

"Cut off the tongue of that unruly fellow, chop it up and throw it out to feed the stray dogs."

The volume of the sentence was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the fifty or so men to hear.

However, when these words were spoken, not only Zhou Jingzhong beside him, but also the Jinyiwei officers stationed here and the fifty or so men from all walks of life who claimed to have seen the world, all turned pale.

However, the Jinyiwei officer was stunned for a moment, then immediately stepped forward. He was wearing armor and holding a steel knife in his hand. It was natural for him to easily capture a man who was of similar size to him, had far less training than him, and was unarmed.

Zhou Shixian watched the strong man's tongue being cut off alive in front of dozens of people, and he couldn't help but shudder secretly. It was not because the scene was too bloody, but because the scream was too shrill. As someone who had been to the battlefield, he couldn't help but feel a little panicked when he heard such a sound.

After this, everyone watched as the man who had just made fun of someone without recognizing their real talent had his tongue cut off, and then he couldn't utter a word, making noises, and was dragged away by two Jinyiwei with a bloody face. No one dared to speak rudely anymore, and everyone's eyes were filled with fear.

The dozens of desperate criminals who had just been frightened by Zhou Shixian's tongue-cutting and chopping-off of people just looked at each other and did not dare to speak. Even those who had some disdain on their faces just now lowered their heads, fearing that they would be noticed by Zhou Shixian.

After all, they were nothing more than gangsters, robbers and thugs. Facing Zhou Shixian who was guarded by a group of Jinyiwei, how could they dare to act presumptuously once the latter showed his decisive and fierce momentum?
Not to mention them, even Zhou Jingzhong hadn't recovered at this time. When did his young master become so cruel?
Seeing that no one spoke, Zhou Shixian said again:

"Since you're here, you must understand the rules of the Imperial Guard. I'll give you five counts to make a decision. If you don't say anything, it means you all intend to stay."

Zhou Jingzhong was listening and watching from the side. He knew that his young master was putting pressure on these people, but for a moment he felt that this young master was a little strange.

Soon, more than a dozen people stood aside. Although they were not good people, let alone kind people, they were frightened by Zhou Shixian just now and completely lost their courage. They just wanted to leave this place of trouble.

Zhou Shixian saw this and immediately said with a smile:

"In that case, I won't force you to stay any longer. Go get some money for your journey and don't appear before me again.

Remember, keep everything that happened today to yourself and don't say a single word to anyone, otherwise the Jinyiwei will not let you go no matter where you are."

Then he winked at the officer next to him, who understood and immediately stepped forward to take away those who decided to stay. Seeing this, the remaining dozen or so people finally breathed a sigh of relief.

When Zhou Jingzhong heard Zhou Shixian's decision, although he felt that it was a bit hasty to let these people go, he did not say much. It seemed that his young master was not cruel enough!
However, after the other thirty or so people were taken away, Zhou Shixian suddenly spoke:
"Jingzhong, get rid of all these people, don't leave any of them alive!"

"Ah... yes, young master!" Zhou Jingzhong was stunned for a moment, then reacted immediately. Without any hesitation, he immediately rushed forward with the five Jinyiwei behind him, and five or six Jinyiwei in armor and sharp weapons also rushed in from outside the door.

In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so men who thought they could still get the travel expenses had turned into corpses on the ground with screams.

"Let's go too." Zhou Shixian looked at the corpse on the ground, nodded slightly, then turned and walked out the door.

There is no need to be reasonable when the Jinyiwei do things. If these people are useless, they can be killed. For the great cause of the court, what does it matter if a few people die?
(End of this chapter)