Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 3: Angering the Superintendent

The person who spoke was a sturdy man in his 40s, wearing a fifth-rank military officer's hat. He was Miao Peilin, a militia commander from Hui Province, and a fifth-rank official in the northern Sichuan Province, and was also in charge of the militia commander in Anhui Province.

This person looked at the high-spirited Zheng Guohui with a sarcastic expression and continued, "I heard that the Tongzhou militia marched out of the city with over a thousand men, and when they returned, the number had increased to over 3000. I'm curious, if they weren't harboring evil, how could they be so vigorous?"

Miao Peilin is a very famous person. He is a bully in the Huaibei area of ​​Anhui Province. He defected to the Hunan Army, which was currently in its heyday. He was rampant in the army and looked down on everyone else.

Seeing this man openly provoking him, Zheng Guohui couldn't help but laugh, and said with contempt on his face;
"I was wondering who it was. It turned out to be the three-surnamed slave, Lord Miao. He turned against the Taiping rebels this time and performed a great service. I wonder when he will turn against Lord Futai and bite him again?"

"Bullshit! How dare you humiliate me?" Miao Peilin's face turned pale with anger and he started cursing.

Zheng Guohui walked over calmly and said loudly, "Master Miao has always been rebellious. This is something that everyone knows. There is no need to be embarrassed!

I know you are from Miao Village, and you have never understood the loyalty and integrity of the Chinese people. You are a rat who has abandoned the moral code.

Pooh……

I am a filthy, trashy person who is ashamed to be associated with you.

You've been so treacherous, if I'm not mistaken you've become a slave of four families. Since Master Miao is capable of doing this, are you still afraid of what Zheng will say?"

At this moment, Zheng Guohui had turned into a troll, picking on Miao Peilin's despicable character and criticizing him without any mercy.

The open and covert struggles in the army are like the flashing of swords and the shadow of sabers. If you take a step back, you will be crushed to pieces.

Speaking of Miao Peilin, he was very famous among the Qing troops gathered in Nanjing.

Miao Peilin was a powerful man in northern Anhui. He was originally from Miaojiazhai, Fengtai. He was originally a down-and-out scholar in the countryside who was depressed and frustrated.

After the Taipinghe and Nian Rebellions broke out, he believed that "this is the time for a man to succeed", so he defected to the Nian Army.

Soon he returned home and planned to organize militia, emphasizing that "we must build strongholds, store grain, and train soldiers to protect ourselves." He gained the support of local gentry and was elected as the leader.

"With dozens of streams connected and thousands of people gathered, Peilin's name was known throughout the Huai River and Yangtze River regions."

Later, he was won over by the Qing army general Shengbao and was awarded the fifth-rank official title. He was appointed as the governor of northern Sichuan and supervised the militia training in Anhui.

1860, during the Second Opium War

The British and French allied forces invaded the capital and Emperor Xianfeng fled to Chengde. Miao Peilin believed that the Qing Dynasty was exhausted and the time for its demise had come, so he raised the banner of rebellion against the Qing Dynasty.

to be frank

This guy was really making a lot of trouble. He rebelled and then surrendered, and then surrendered and then rebelled again. He really caused a big commotion in northern Anhui.

Miao Peilin proposed "clearing up Huaibei first, then Huainan, and not worrying about the failure of major events", so he raised the banner of anti-Qing, sent people to contact the Nian Army and the Taiping Army, and accepted the title of "King of Zou" from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Unfortunately, this man was unlucky. When the Taiping Army lost Anqing and the war situation reversed, Miao Peilin once again defected to the Hunan Army, led his troops to attack the Nian Army together with the Hunan Army, and lied to Chen Yucheng that he was in Shouzhou, tied him up and sent him to the army to ask for credit and reward.

Just imagine how Zheng Guohui could tolerate being dragged down by such a fickle villain?

These words hit the nail on the head, causing the surrounding group to burst into applause and laughter, and many people spoke out in support.

If the road is uneven, people will step on it, let alone these rough guys fighting in the war?

Those gathered here are powerful militias from all over the place. No one relies on anyone else's rice. They don't like their character and will not look favorably upon Miao Peilin.

Miao Peilin's subtle sarcasm failed, and he was scolded by Zheng Guohui. His face turned pale, then pale, and then red. His hands were shaking with anger as he said, "You brat, you... you... you..."

"What are you talking about? If you don't accept it, come and fight. I will chop off your dog head in three rounds and kick it like a gourd. Even smoke will rise from the graves of your ancestors." Zheng Guohui's momentum became stronger and stronger, making the old villain's eyes turn white with anger.

This kind of fickle villain has already caused dissatisfaction among the central government of the court, and he won't be able to stay in power for more than two days.

Now that Tianjing City has been broken, the Taiping rebels will be dealt a fatal blow.

The bandit rebellion that stretched across more than a dozen provinces in the southeast had long been suppressed by the joint efforts of the Hunan Army, the Huai Army, and local militias. Time was running out for it.

Once I have some free time, I will deal with these heroes who are jumping around in troubled times.

If history had not changed

A few months later
After suppressing the Nian Army in northern Anhui, Senggelinqin would turn against Miao Peilin and order him to disarm.

"The soldiers returned to farming, the strongholds were destroyed and the moats filled, and the flags and firearms were confiscated."

Miao Peilin was certainly unwilling to be killed, so he rebelled against the Qing Dynasty three times, leading his army to capture Huaiyuan, Fengtai, Yingshang, Shouzhou, and approached Mengcheng. Later, he was surrounded and annihilated by Senggelinqin, and Miao was killed.

Zheng Guohui lashed out calmly. He was a brave warrior who had defeated many powerful enemies over the years and had made a great reputation.

He became famous at a young age and was extremely strong. When he danced with a large Guandao, water could not penetrate him. His martial arts were so superb that dozens of people could not get close to him.

Dealing with a mere poor scholar Miao Peilin is a piece of cake.

Miao Peilin was openly challenged this time, but he didn't dare to accept the challenge. He felt extremely embarrassed in front of everyone and was so angry that he was about to turn against them.

Then a clear shout was heard from inside the courtyard: "The Governor is coming to the court. The militias from each battalion shall appear in turn. No noise is allowed. Those who violate this will be severely punished without pardon."

Forget it, it’s over.

The militia in the courtyard, the military officers quickly put away their smiles as if they were watching a show, lined up in an orderly manner, and came to see the emperor in two rows on the left and right.

On one side was the Hunan Army, and on the other side were military officers from various local militias. The two sides were clearly divided and there was no chaos at all.

Zheng Guohui was ranked among the military officers of the miscellaneous militia. According to the rank of official positions, his fifth-rank garrison commander was ranked behind the fourth-rank military officers.

There were more than a dozen people lined up in front, and about fifteen or sixteen people lined up on one side.

As for those militia leaders who did not have official military positions in the court, they had to rank behind the Qianzong and Bazong, and probably could not even enter the lobby.

Zeng Guoquan, the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, ascended the court. The officials bowed and saluted. After the ceremony, they lined up on the left and right.

Those who could stand in the front of the hall included Jiangning General Xianghou, Jiangnan Admiral Fuzhu Hong'a, Jiangning Deputy Governor Huo Longwu, Provincial Governor Elong, Hui Province Governor Cao Wenqing, Provincial Governor Zhang Shunde, Jiangxi General Chen Yongshan, Deputy General Duolong'a and other first and second rank local officials, as well as civil and military officials gathered together.

The governor was originally a third-rank official, but the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Zeng Guoquan, bestowed upon him the title of Prince's Guardian, the title of First-Class Weiyi Earl, and the double-eyed peacock feather.

The Crown Prince's Junior Guardian was a true First Rank official, powerful enough to command a host of high-ranking military and political officials. Zeng Guoquan, the Governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, sat in the center, his sharp, hawk-like gaze sweeping across the area. Everyone bowed their heads in deference, a gesture of respect for their superior.

Zheng Guohui was no fool. He lowered his head without changing his expression, and cursed all the women of the Zeng family in his heart.

He hated the tune, but had to go with the flow.

A garrison officer of the fifth rank was roughly equivalent to a battalion commander in later generations, and was eight levels lower than Zeng Guoquan, who was equivalent to the commander of a major military region. The gap was so huge that it was despairing.

Waited for more than two minutes
Zeng Guoquan showed off his power and said in a cold tone:
"This commander led the army in a bitter battle for two years and finally conquered the Taiping rebels' capital, securing the first victory. This was extremely difficult.

The generals from all departments fought bravely and fought hard, which was extremely arduous. I have seen it all.

The memorial requesting merit has been urgently submitted to the capital over a distance of 600 miles. The court will soon grant you a reward, so please be patient for now.

I want to reiterate that

In recent days, the militias that have entered the city have been in chaos. Some have been looting despite repeated prohibitions, some have embezzled money, some have pretended to obey but actually disobeyed, and some have let their soldiers cause chaos. There are many kinds of chaos.

It's like a swarm of locusts passing through, how can you describe the chaos with just one word?

Where is the military law of our Qing Dynasty?
Where is the might of our Hunan Army?"

Zeng Guoquan slammed the table, and the fierce aura of a superior burst out, staring fiercely at everyone in the hall.

All the generals knew what was going on and knelt down, saying, "Please calm down, Marshal," all with a submissive look on their faces.

Zheng Guohui had no choice but to kneel down on one knee, lowering his head like a quail, and the divine beast "Go Mu Ma" in his heart had already filled the sky.

This kind of tone was prevalent in the Qing army, especially among Zeng Guoquan.

When he got angry, everyone knelt. When he got angry again, they knelt again. When he got angry again, they knelt again. Every time they went to class to discuss matters, they had to kneel several times. Everyone was familiar with it.

It seems that today is the day to review military orders. Maybe someone will lose his head. Is he going to kill a few people to establish his authority?
Zheng Guohui thought to himself that the stick would not hit his butt.

Although the Governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang had the power to control the Green Camp, he could not directly command the Green Camp soldiers. The only troops he could directly mobilize were the Governor's Banner and the Governor's Banner.

The so-called Du Biao is the admiral, who is the highest commander of the Green Camp soldiers in a province.

To put it in perspective, that is the first-rank Jiangnan Admiral Fu Zhuhong'a, who is the official governor.

However, the troops commanded by Zheng Guohui were not Green Camp soldiers, but Tongzhou militia, which was the armed forces of Tongzhou landlords and could be considered a militia for the time being.

We buy our own weapons and provide our own food to help you fight. We have a lot of freedom and there is another level of affiliation.

Unexpectedly

After showing off his power for a while, Zeng Guoquan pointed out several generals who disobeyed military orders, including Zheng Guohui, and wanted to give them all 30 strokes of the cane as a warning to others.

Forget about others,

For example, Shi Jijiong, the leader of the Tongling militia, was jealous when he saw that Tao Jinben, the leader of the militia who captured Li Xiucheng, the King of Loyalty, had robbed his subordinates of a lot of gold, silver and jewelry.

He then took advantage of the chaos to lead his troops in a fight, killing Tao Jinben and more than 400 of his followers, and robbed a large amount of gold, silver, jewelry, golden ruyi and mutton-fat jade bi. He should be executed for his crime.

Shi Jiyong was dragged out and given 30 strokes of the cane, which was like lifting him high and then bringing him down gently.

But what does this have to do with me?

Is it because he just angrily scolded Miao Peilin?
After thinking about it, this was the only possibility. When Zheng Guohui heard his name being called, he immediately became furious and a surge of anger rushed into his heart.

Why do you want to punish me with a stick? Just because I didn’t give Miao Peilin face just now?

Moreover, the four people who were punished with sticks were all from miscellaneous militias, and there was not a single one from the Hunan Army.

"Nineth Marshal, our brave and hard fighting has not only been in vain, but we are guilty. Guohui is dissatisfied and respectfully requests that the Ninth Marshal revoke your order." Zheng Guohui stood up straight, bowed his hands and said in a cold voice.

His behavior was very different from that of the three militia leaders kneeling on the ground, and attracted the attention of the first and second rank officials in the hall, who all whispered to each other and asked what was going on.

By doing this, Zheng Guohui was directly offending the Governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Guo Quan. A fierce look flashed across his face, and his gaze was as fierce as a knife.

All of a sudden, pressure like a mountain came crashing down.

The Hunan Army generals standing aside were even more excited and shouted angrily:
"Your Highness, my Lord, you are but mere warriors, yet you dare to commit treason. You shall be executed for your crimes!"

"Shut up, you little brat! How can you be so presumptuous in this hall?"

"Sir General Jiu, this thief's crime cannot be redeemed by a thousand deaths. Please execute him to stabilize the morale of the army."

In this chaotic moment, Zheng Guohui's face was full of contempt. These words were like a breeze blowing in his face. He glared at Zeng Guoquan, tore open his clothes at his chest, revealing the scars all over his body and said loudly:

"I, Zheng Guohui, led the men of my hometown to fight for our country, fighting through life and death in over a hundred battles, taking repeated wounds but refusing to retreat, escaping death by crawling out of a pile of corpses.

If you have made contributions to the country and have a clear conscience, heaven will bear witness to it.

It is true that Lord Jiushuai has made the greatest contribution, but that was achieved through the heroic efforts of thousands of soldiers, not just yours.

I, Zheng, am not talented, but I would like to ask Lord Jiushuai what crime I have committed?
Your Hunan Army took in Miao Peilin, a surrendered general who had rebelled many times. His behavior is despicable.

It is written in black and white, and God can witness it.

Why...can't Zheng say it?
"If the Ninth Marshal wants to punish me on trumped-up charges, then at worst I will just refuse to wear this fifth-rank official hat and lead my troops back to my hometown to await punishment, rather than suffer your filthy wrath."

"You led the army back to your hometown to await punishment. I'm afraid you, a fifth-rank garrison officer, haven't woken up yet. What good things are you thinking about?" Zeng Guoquan, the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, laughed angrily, his face becoming more and more gloomy and terrifying.

This insignificant official actually dared to offend the governor's authority in court. How could he be allowed to get away with it?

If this is the case, then there is no need to lead this large army, and the superior's authority will be completely lost.

At this moment, Zeng Guoquan was filled with murderous intent and was determined to punish Zheng Guohui so that even if he didn't die, he would be skinned alive.

(End of this chapter)