The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 397 Assault
"Zhou Sheng, the magistrate of Chun County, personally ordered the murder of seventeen people and instigated officials to torture and kill one hundred and twelve others. Specifically, Zhang Fu, a villager from Chenjia Village, was arrested and imprisoned for owing taxes. Zhou Sheng, under the pretext of making an example of him, ordered his murder, using extremely cruel methods."

The entrance to the vegetable market in Chun County.

A row of officials knelt on a raised platform. Their coats were removed, and each of them was guarded by three members of the inspection team to ensure that everyone had to bend over and keep their heads down.

"As the principal offender, he bears the vast majority of the responsibility and should have been skinned alive as a warning. However, in order to expedite the process and quell public discontent in Chun County, he was sentenced to beheading, his property was confiscated, and his twelve family members were exiled north of the Little Yellow River with no chance of ever being pardoned."

An inspector read aloud.

Every person beheaded, regardless of their identity, must be publicly announced, and three members of their clan must come forward and sign their names before the verdict to confirm the evidence is conclusive. If relatives refuse to come forward, the notice will be posted at the government office for five days, and everyone can read it.

The people of Chun County had already witnessed the spectacle twice. When they learned that they could retaliate against the officials who bullied them, and even hand the officials over to the government, and that the officials would show favoritism and punish them as accomplices, they were all dumbfounded. How come they didn't know that?

Some people clapped and cheered, "Well done!"

"Killing so many people is too cruel."

Some people couldn't bear it and muttered subconsciously.

The person next to him glared at him, looking as if about to attack, which startled him. It wasn't that he was afraid of the other person, but rather that the other person looked like a madman, as if he wanted to devour someone. Who would dare to argue with a madman?

The man quickly said, "Did I say something wrong?"

“My father was hung up and beaten by them for three days and three nights. When they threw him into the mass grave, there wasn’t a single inch of his body that was intact. Did my father deserve to die?” His eyes were full of hatred.

Upon seeing the man's appearance, the other man was filled with regret. He shouldn't have spoken carelessly; now he had offended a madman.

The madman seemed to see through the man's annoyance and gritted his teeth, saying, "Three of my fellow villagers died in prison because they couldn't pay their taxes. Half of our village went out to escape famine, and no one is farming the land. Who can afford to pay taxes? When you were pushing us to our deaths, why didn't you say it was cruel?"

"I'm sorry."

The man avoided the area as if it were a plague, without a single word to say.

"He's a scholar who passed the imperial examinations." After he left, someone whispered, "What's the point of talking to him about this?"

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes burned with even more hatred.

The Datong Army suddenly arrived in Chun County, took control of the city gates, and then took over the yamen (government office). Subsequently, the supervisory team, the inspection team, the military governor's office, and the accountants and clerks temporarily hired from the merchants' offices all came together to examine the yamen's accounts and documents.

When the accountants and employees of a merchant guild need to get the manager's approval to do errands, and the guild's mansion also needs to pay for the workers to do the work, provided it does not affect the guild's own business.

However, the amount of money provided by the Marshal's Mansion was not much, only two cents a day.

Since the widespread use of grain and vegetable markets, Datong used grain coupons to settle accounts with merchants, which were then exchanged uniformly. This made things convenient for the merchants and their subordinates. Copper coins were of varying purity, and silver was even more inconvenient to use.

The main reason is that they trust the General Jie's Mansion.

We are not afraid of the General's Mansion defaulting on its debts. Over the years, from the Western Army of Datong to the current General's Mansion, it has never broken its promise.

After the first attempt, year after year, although grain coupons did not become hard currency when circulated directly in commercial banks, they could still serve as a means of circulation for a short period of time.

"Ugh."

"We're so busy every day for just two cents, it's more tiring than working in the shop," complained an accountant who had finished calculating with his abacus as he stretched.

"The military governor's office has always paid people this way," someone explained. "Even the constables in the yamen only get three cents a day."

Many affairs of the county government have come to a standstill, but many other things still need to be maintained.

Since the military governor's office had taken over, they naturally had to pay the people who did the work, and the price was set at three cents a day.

"Three cents a day, not even ten dollars a month, and ten dollars can only be exchanged for one tael of silver." The accountant who had just complained said disdainfully, "I thought the runners wouldn't do it, but a lot of them stayed."

The "servants" they referred to were not ordinary people who performed corvée labor.

There are many types of temporary workers.

Most of the constables did the hardest and most tiring work, while a small number of constables, because they were close to power, were able to make a lot of money and had considerable power. Naturally, such jobs were highly sought after and became family jobs for many people.

"Not only that, but whether it's the military governor's mansion or the government office, they provide everything from food and drink to lodging and transportation."

"That's good." Another accountant who had finished his work sneered, "Food, drink, lodging and transportation, which one doesn't cost countless amounts? Just the food alone wastes the food rations of so many people every year."

"Fanshi County robbed so much silver on the road. Logically, the government should have had money, but what happened? They still owed tens of thousands of taels of silver, which they wouldn't be able to pay back for the next fifty years. When they investigated how the silver was spent, half of it was spent on food, drink, lodging, and transportation. They've made them fat and bloated."

"Even if the Marshal's Mansion didn't subsidize us with two cents a day, I would still be willing to work for free to expose these parasites and let the world see what kind of people they are who talk about sages and etiquette, claim to be local officials, and always say they are doing things for democracy."

"I was just saying, why are you so angry?" The man who had spoken first quickly explained, "The Marshal's Mansion didn't force me; it was all voluntary. I volunteered. That's just my personality."

"Hey."

Someone burst in and interrupted, saying, "The Li family in the city is burning grain, and the soldiers have all gone there."

"Burning grain?"

Everyone was shocked.

The four categories of disasters and illnesses promulgated by the General's Office were the highest laws, with the principle of human life being of paramount importance.

The principle that human life is of paramount importance has always been an ethical principle that no one disagrees with. Therefore, although many people are unwilling, they cannot refute it logically.

This law was not something that Jie Shuai came up with on a whim; rather, it was the result of collective wisdom, considering all possibilities, striving to eliminate any loopholes, and quickly patching any that might exist.

According to the regulations therein.

This method is not effective under normal circumstances; it only takes effect under the corresponding level of disaster.

It is now the highest level.

All acts of deliberately wasting food will be severely punished.

"Go and have a look."

Everyone ran outside.

The end of the street.

The largest courtyard at the entrance of the alley was surrounded by a crowd, and the soldiers had set up an open space, so no one knew what was happening inside.

"Master Gu has arrived."

Some people have sharp eyes.

Upon seeing someone arrive in a sedan chair, he then stepped into the Li family compound.

Gu Shi was very amiable.

"You and the Li family have been friends for generations. Out of a desire to save grain and because I don't want to see the Li family drive themselves to the brink of ruin and turn to crime, I asked you to come and persuade Master Li."

"It's Zuo Qin, the captain of the inspection team, who said this with a kind smile."

Gu Shi nodded.

Although the Li family was a prominent family in Chun County, they were not grain merchants, so they did not have much grain. However, with the natural disasters and man-made calamities of recent years, which family would not stockpile more grain? Any prominent family would store as much grain as they could.

Therefore, the Li family set aside a courtyard specifically for storing grain. Including the family of over thirty servants, they could only consume a little over one hundred shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain per year at most.

Went into the yard.

Gu Shi glanced at it casually; it seemed to be around two thousand shi (a unit of dry measure).

"Brother, let's talk this out."

Gu Shi cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

Master Li, along with his sons and grandsons, carried torches, and stacks of firewood and straw were piled up in every room.

"Don't get involved." Master Li impatiently chased Gu Shi away as he entered. "Don't let him get hurt."

"Why is this so?"

Gu Shi smiled bitterly: "Does this really mean our families will be destroyed? Doesn't my brother understand the principle that you can't fight city hall?"

"I just won't accept it."

With tears welling in his eyes, Master Li said aggrievedly, "My eldest son was beheaded, my daughter-in-law and grandson were exiled, and our family still has to pay a fine of more than 70,000 taels of silver." Master Li became agitated and went crazy: "More than 70,000 taels of silver! Even if our entire Li family sold everything, we still couldn't afford to pay that."

"It's always better to be alive than dead."

Gu Shi sighed, saying that it was the end of the world.

When Wang Xin first came to Yanmen Pass as a garrison commander, his family supported him. Unexpectedly, they also suffered a disaster. Fortunately, his second brother was an official in Taiyuan, and his position was not one that involved dealing with ordinary people.

Nowadays, officials who deal with ordinary people are the hardest hit, with many former officials being arrested or implicated.

Even so, it's impossible to escape.

Several clansmen had committed murder, and although they were not the masterminds, they still had to go to jail and pay compensation. As the clan chief, Gu Shi had no choice but to step in and pay more than three thousand taels of silver.

“If the money was given to the military governor’s mansion, we could accept it,” Gu Shi said with heartache. “But most of the money went to the peasants. It’s unfair that such a large sum of money was given to peasants who were not even worth a glance in previous years.”

After Gu Shi finished speaking about himself, he advised, "But we both know that when a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless. Since that's the case, we have no choice but to bow our heads under someone else's roof."

Master Li gritted his teeth.

Looking at everything in the house with reluctance.

"As long as the green hills remain, there's no worry about running out of firewood," Gu Shi said softly. Yes.

There's still a chance if you're alive.

In the end, Master Li couldn't bring himself to let his whole family die together.

"I refuse to believe that Wang Xin's perverse actions will end well. When that day comes," Master Li said, sounding like a madman, though he didn't explicitly state his opinion. Seeing that the other party hadn't lost his mind, Gu Shi breathed a sigh of relief.

Below Chunxian County is Yangwuyu, which is a place name in a valley.

An ordinary day.

An army has arrived here.

"This is it."

Hu Ying surveyed the surrounding terrain and gave instructions to her subordinates.

He brought two thousand men from Taiyuan, and General Jiang Heng of Ningwu Pass sent another one thousand men. According to Jiang Heng's plan, a total of three thousand men were to set up camp in Yangwuyu. With the Ningwu Pass army providing support from behind, he could occupy this place and either attack or defend.

The troops at Ningwu Pass were mostly battalion soldiers, while the men he brought with him were mostly militia.

The thousand-plus men from Ningwu Pass set up camp much faster than the men she brought. Hu Ying was furious and yelled, "Didn't you feed them? If anyone slacks off again, I won't bother the men below, I'll hold you responsible!"

"Here!"

The subordinates sprang into action.

The trees in the valley were felled, transported down, and used to build a stockade and place barricades. Only after the fortifications were completed did Hu Ying feel at ease.

"Send out all the scouts," Hu Ying instructed. "It would be best if we could hold out for two days. Once our fortifications here are repaired, we won't have to worry about the rebels from Datong coming."

Setting up camp was a collaborative effort among all departments.

But it was the militia's turn to build the fortifications.

Same night.

"Should we take over Wutai County?" Qi Shannian hesitated.

Inside the tent, Captain Peng Shizhi shook his head and offered his opinion, "I don't think it's necessary."

The Jiedushi Prefecture's current operations are based on battalions and guards. The eighteen battalions are equivalent to eighteen guerrilla generals. These guerrilla generals are equivalent to generals who lead troops into battle, while the rank of adjutant general is higher.

Once you reach the position of general, you are in charge of an entire army.

Qi Shannian was a guerrilla general and the commander of a first-class battalion.

Each battalion is further divided into five smaller battalions, each led by a battalion commander.

The two Class B battalions were assigned to various places, including Chun County. If I were to lead my own battalion to attack Wutai Mountain, I would need these two battalions to maintain the supply lines and to fight when necessary.

In total, there were seven hundred cavalrymen, which was also a considerable fighting force.

But is it necessary to take over Wutai County? It has a dangerous terrain and a sparse population.

Having lost the advantage of a surprise attack, and still holding the terrain, Wutai County has a garrison commander. If it were to turn into a full-scale assault, the losses would likely be significant, making it a losing proposition. It would be better to abandon Wutai County.

Qi Shannian also thought so.

He was in charge of fighting, while the aftermath was handled by the military governor's office.

With the arrival of the military governor's mansion, as well as a large number of inspection and supervision teams, and according to information revealed by those behind the scenes, the harvest from taking Daizhou was more than expected, and the wealthy households had more than twice as much grain as those in Datong.

There's nothing surprising about that.

The official population register of Daizhou shows just over 200,000 people, but according to the analysis of the government's account books and the opinions of local wealthy families, the actual population of Daizhou should be between 350,000 and 400,000.

Although it was only a prefecture, its population was no less than that of Datong Prefecture.

“It rained a few days ago. If the disaster situation this year is alleviated a little, the vast area outside Datong Pass can definitely be self-sufficient. If we can turn Daizhou into a place like Datong, we will have surplus grain.”

Peng Shizhi thought that the military commander's mansion often talked about the economy, so he did some calculations as well.

Qi Shan Nian had an idea.

"Report!"

Two scouts returned on horseback, one of them still covered in blood. "An army has appeared in Yangwuyu, flying the banner of Taiyuan Town. Our brothers were discovered by their scouts, and they attacked us without hesitation. One of our brothers died."

Qi Shannian was furious.

"Fine, they're trying to corner me." Qi Shannian didn't care about the bigger picture. Since others dared to provoke him, he would be unhappy if he didn't teach them a lesson. "Pass on my order: assemble."

Less than 15 minutes.

Qi Shannian led the cavalrymen of the camp to set off.

"Boss, should we listen to the orders from the General's Office first?" Peng Shizhi rode his horse alongside Qi Shannian, his face showing some hesitation.

"You."

Qi Shannian shook his head. "You're overthinking it."

Peng Shizhi was puzzled.

"We are military generals, and winning battles is our top priority. If we have too many thoughts, we are more likely to make mistakes in battle."

Under the setting sun, Qi Shannian's face was covered in red, like bloodstains, making him look like a god of death.

In a vicious tone, he said, "Yangwuyu has been occupied. How will we ever be able to get out again? If we don't take it back before they gain a foothold, how many brothers will have to lose their lives if the military governor orders us to fight later?"

Peng Shizhi stopped thinking about it and focused all his attention on fighting.

Without wasting words, Qi Shannian took advantage of the enemy's incomplete fortifications and personally led his team to attack through the gap, raising his long sword: "Charge!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The cavalrymen with three-eyed guns fired at the guards inside through the fence. The dense gunfire felled many of the guards, and the rest scattered in panic.

There are three types of cavalry in the Class A battalion.

There were three types of cavalry with three-eyed guns, elite armored soldiers using heavy bows, and spearmen who charged.

Qi Shannian led his spearmen, under the cover of the three-eyed musket cavalry, and took advantage of the enemy's retreat to drive them in.

"Enemy attack!"

In the midst of the panic, someone finally shouted.

Many soldiers crawled out of their tents, their faces filled with panic. Hu Ying, who was in the main tent, was startled awake and jumped out of bed.

"General."

"People from Datong have come to attack."

The guards outside rushed in, and Hu Ying had already picked up her weapon.

"Blow the horn."

Hu Ying calmly gave the instructions.

Hearing the commotion outside, he already knew that others had stormed into the camp.

Only by sounding the horn and drawing all the generals to his side could he turn the tables on the enemy. Although this would attract the attention of the Datong army, Hu Ying did not believe that the Datong army could bring too many people with them, given their swift and decisive actions.

"Our chance has come."

Upon arriving outside the main tent, many personal guards and generals had already rushed over, most of them in a state of panic.

Hu Ying sneered and shouted, "The Datong Army boasts of its invincible reputation, but now we're going to trample it under our feet!" She then raised her hands high, "Taiyuan Army!"

"mighty!"

Someone reacted and shouted.

"Taiyuan Military Town!"

"mighty!"

Although there were firelight ahead and the cries of their own side could be heard everywhere, Hu Ying already knew that the enemy's numbers were indeed small.

Although Qi Shannian was engaged in fierce fighting, he paid more attention to the overall situation.

They quickly noticed the movement in the distance.

The worst-case scenario is that the enemy is starting to assemble. We can't give them a chance. Qi Shannian raised his long sword, pointed it in Hu Ying's direction, and shouted, "Brothers, follow me!"

After shouting, Qi Shan personally led the charge.

"kill!"

The soldiers behind them were all eager to fight.

(End of this chapter)