Qing Yao

Chapter 317 Lord Zhao's Unorthodox Approach
There were two imperial swords in the Qing Dynasty. One was the "Little Divine Edge," the personal sword of the old master, and the other was the Ebilun sword in Zhao An's hands.

Strictly speaking, the Ebilun sword is the true imperial sword of the Qing Dynasty, because it was originally the sword of Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty. It has been passed down through several dynasties for more than a hundred years and can be regarded as a national treasure that has witnessed the history of the Qing Dynasty.

As a result, this priceless treasure was ruined by Zhao An in the battle. How could he explain this to the old master?
What were the Qing Dynasty's punishment regulations for damaging the imperial sword?

Demotion, salary reduction, or dismissal and investigation?

Zhao An cannot afford to pay compensation.

Just as he was having a major headache, the guard Qingyao suddenly stepped forward, staring intently at the nicked Ebilun sword. He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, “The Ebilun sword was first drawn after the founding emperor’s reign when the Holy Ancestor quelled the Three Feudatories. The second time it was drawn was when the current emperor pacified the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions. Now, the third time it has been drawn, it has wiped out the hundreds of thousands of White Lotus rebels in northern Anhui. It is clear that this sword is truly a treasure of our Great Qing Dynasty. Every time it is drawn, it brings great victory! Although the sword is damaged now, I believe the emperor will not blame you for this, because you are the Ebilun sword of our Great Qing Dynasty!”

Ai?
This kid knows how to talk!

Zhao An was overjoyed. Yes, no matter what kind of knife it is, it's bound to be damaged on the battlefield. If a knife isn't damaged, it means it was never used. Only when it's damaged can it prove the bravery of the person wielding it.

And that is precisely what the old master values ​​most.

To be precise, the old man valued the person wielding the knife, not the knife itself.

Moreover, the Ebilun sword embodies the power of the emperor, and has nothing to do with whether the sword itself is indestructible.

Reporting truthfully that Ebilun's sword was damaged in battle and was incomplete would not only avoid punishment from the old master, but would also deepen the old master's impression of the sword wielder.

In the far southeast, a rising star is emerging!
Who?
Those who are bondservants have a salary.

"Guard Qing deserves the greatest credit for this great victory in the siege of the White Lotus!"

In return for the favor, the list of recommended personnel for promotion and reward after the war was written by Zhao An, the "commander-in-chief." It only took a few words to add a few heroic deeds to Qing Yao, the imperial bodyguard. However, these few words would allow Qing Yao and others to write extensively about "the living Ebilun" in front of the old master after returning to the capital. No matter how you look at it, Zhao An gained a great advantage.

If the old master were in a good mood, he could bestow the broken knife upon "the living Ebilun" to wear forever, which would be even more impressive than the royal decree in the governor's hand.

I wouldn't trade it for a pair of double-eyed feathers!
With this knife, not only would Governor Zhu Gui be indifferent to him, but even the Viceroy of Liangjiang, Zhao An, wouldn't give him a second thought.

Therefore, the problem with the knife was never the problem.

The only problem is people.

Upon receiving Zhao An's order, Zhou Ku, the guerrilla commander in Suzhou, dared not delay and quickly sent over the more than two hundred mules and horses that had been cobbled together in the city, along with the more than four hundred that had been captured outside the city.

Mules made up the majority, numbering over four hundred, while the rest were dwarf horses used for pulling carts; only about twenty could be considered warhorses.

Zhao An couldn't ride a horse, so he gave his warhorse to someone who could, and rode a mule like most people.

Despite the team's very "rustic" appearance, it enabled them to achieve high-speed mobility in an instant.

"Chase!"

After mounting the mule, Zhao An ordered a pursuit without hesitation, determined to finish off the fleeing enemy.

It wasn't that he wanted to exterminate the White Lotus sect members who were anti-Qing, but rather that he had to drive the White Lotus sect's influence out of Anhui, because he wanted Anhui!
The White Lotus sect's influence needs to expand into Hubei so that an uprising many times larger than the one we are facing can break out in Hubei three years later.

Three years is enough time for the core members of the White Lotus Sect to learn from the lessons of this hasty uprising, so that they won't be completely disorganized when they start another uprising. At the very least, they can train a large number of divine soldiers.

To date, Zhao An has not issued an arrest warrant for Liu Zhixie, the leader of the Sanyang Cult, because he wants to give Liu time to escape from Anhui.

At this time, pursuing the White Lotus sect members who were fleeing north was no different from beating a drowning dog. Every soldier in the camp was eager to claim the military merits that had been earned, and even the morale of the Canal Gang brothers was unusually high.

The young lord's prestige is nothing more than the prestige of their canal gang!
The motorized caravan of mules and horses immediately swept northward like the wind.

Despite nearly falling off the mule, Zhao An's firsthand experience as a "semi-cavalryman" broadened his horizons and made him understand why the Nian Rebellion, which also used mules and horses for transportation decades later, was able to fight the Qing Dynasty for several years after the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was destroyed.

Because of speed!

As long as you are faster than your opponent, you can catch them off guard, set up an ambush in their path, and quickly escape the battlefield when things go wrong, leaving your opponent far behind.

Thus, establishing a highly mobile cavalry force naturally became part of Zhao An's work agenda.

Although Huaibei does not produce warhorses, it has an unusually large number of mules.

Quantity is necessary to achieve quality.

Mule and horse cavalry, they are also cavalry.

The first battle of the pursuit took place in a small place called Fuliji.

Here, Zhao An caught up with a group of more than four hundred White Lotus cult bandits. These bandits, who had just fled from Suzhou in a sorry state, had not even had time to catch their breath when they heard the rapid sound of hooves behind them.

With a simple attack, the hastily assembled bandit group of over four hundred was routed, with more than fifty killed and over two hundred captured on the spot.

Interrogation revealed that the group of cult members were originally Nian rebels operating in Bozhou, and the two leaders had died in the chaos of the previous night.

"Lord Zhao is a man of great martial prowess and a brilliant commander. He has won another victory after a great one!"

Qingyao and the others excitedly cut off the heads of the slain cult members and put them in bags; these were all considered merits of war.

Flattery will get you everywhere, and Zhao An readily accepted the compliments from Qing Yao and the others. He ordered thirty men to be left behind to escort the prisoners back to Suzhou City in the rear, while the rest followed him to continue the pursuit.

He also instructed the canal gang brothers who were escorting the prisoners that if any of the prisoners escaped along the way, they should not be pursued, but allowed to go on their own. Those who did not escape should be escorted back to Suzhou and imprisoned together with the other captured Nian rebels.

It was obvious that Zhao An was after the Nian rebels.

The people of northern Anhui are known for their fierce and unruly nature. These individuals, who are half-civilians and half-bandits, could be transformed into an elite force with some training and reform.

Both Li Hongzhang's Huai Army and the Nian Army in northern Anhui originated from the Jianghuai region, but the two armies turned against each other due to their different beliefs. In the end, the Huai Army prevailed and gave birth to the Beiyang Group, thus beginning the history of the Republic of China.

Zhao An has no "competitors" here, and can completely monopolize the Jianghuai Group, ushering in his own era.

This battle will capture at least three or four thousand Nian rebels. By integrating them with the canal gangs that have infiltrated Anhui, Zhao An will be able to directly control at least seven thousand armed forces.

The next step is to "legitimize" these 7,000 armed personnel.

The second battle took place in Xiaogezhuang, a dozen miles northwest of Fuliji.

The entire battle was negligible; there wasn't even any actual fighting between the two sides, because as soon as Zhao An arrived with his team, the two hundred-plus cult members who had fled there surrendered on their own.
But this did not stop Qingyao, a second-class imperial bodyguard, from excitedly defining this battle as his "second victory"!
A series of victories!

Third victory, fourth victory, fifth victory!

After several victories, they killed only a little over three hundred White Lotus rebels, but captured over a thousand.

The big fish caught was a branch leader named Ma San, along with several other leaders and lotus seeds. No other branch leaders were captured, especially Gong Shengzu, the overall commander of the White Lotus Sect this time. Zhao An speculated that this man was very cunning and probably didn't run away with the main group, but instead took a few people and escaped via a side path.

If they can't catch them, they can't catch them. Zhao An didn't want to catch these key personnel who had experience in commanding rebellions anyway.

Five battles, five victories, outstanding military achievements, and the number of kills kept rising. Anyone would be overjoyed with such a record and would happily set up a few tables to celebrate.

However, Zhao An seemed somewhat dissatisfied. Riding the mule that was clearly unwilling to be driven by him and occasionally kicked out, he stroked his non-existent long beard and said to Qing Yao, who was already beaming with joy and calculating how much reward he would receive upon returning to the capital, "Five victories in five battles is indeed impressive, but doesn't Guard Qing think that these five victories are a bit mediocre?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

Qingyao seemed a little confused. Five victories in five battles is so impressive, why is he stuck in a rut?

Zhao An smiled and said, "In ancient times, when people fought battles, they would often capture and release the enemy seven times, or win seven battles in seven battles! That sounds grand and impressive."

"Well?"

Qingyao, who was still basking in the excitement of defeating five groups of cult bandits, was taken aback when he heard this. "Sir, seven victories in seven battles is good, but the prisoners said that there are not many cult bandits ahead for us to pursue. Five victories in five battles is enough for your fame to spread throughout the world."

"Not enough! Five victories in five battles are far from enough; we need seven victories in seven battles!"

Zhao An spoke with unwavering resolve, and the mule beneath him seemed to sense its master's determination, snorting reluctantly.

Qingyao thought that seven victories in seven battles was certainly good, but there were no more cult bandits for them to fight. Besides, they had been chasing for most of the day, and the brothers were tired. It was time to call it a day and go back.

Zhao An knew, of course, that the prisoners ahead were nothing more than small fry, not worth chasing after at all. But as he swept his wise gaze over the dejected prisoners behind him, who were tied up with ropes, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

A wise smile.

He whispered to Qingyao, "Go and release three hundred of the prisoners you captured in the back."

Upon hearing the order, Qingyao was completely dumbfounded: "Release them? Sir, these prisoners are all military merits!"

"put!"

Zhao An waved his hand and said, "Let them run! Run north! Remember, don't chase them too closely. Give them some hope, let them feel like they've escaped! We'll chase them after they've run for the time it takes to eat a meal!"

"this?"

Qingyao instantly understood what Lord Zhao was planning, and excitedly slapped his thigh: "Brilliant, brilliant!"

He immediately walked over to the prisoners and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Listen up, all of you! Lord Zhao is a man of great compassion. Considering your hardships, he will spare your lives today. Now, all of you, go!"

Let us go?

The prisoners couldn't believe their ears and looked at each other in disbelief. Only when the ropes binding them were actually untied did they snap out of their daze and quickly ran north as fast as they could, fearing that the benevolent Lord Zhao might change his mind.

After the prisoners had run two or three miles away, Zhao An nodded in satisfaction and instructed Ye Zhigui, Xu Lin and the others who were still confused, "Why aren't you chasing after them? Are you really going to let these cult bandits get away!"

"what?"

Before Ye Zhigui and the others could react, Zhao An, riding a mule, charged ahead, brandishing his broken Ebilun sword. The mule's hooves kicked up clouds of dust as he charged straight at the group of prisoners who were panting heavily and constantly looking back, their hearts filled with anxiety.

What I hoped for came to pass!
The dust kicked up behind them sent shivers down the spines of the prisoners: "Didn't you release us? Why are you chasing us again?! Can't you Qing dogs keep your word?!"

They had no strength to run, nor dared to resist. When Zhao An arrived first on a mule, all the prisoners in front of him raised their hands and shouted, "Surrender! We surrender!"

Seeing the prisoners so cooperative, without them even having to lift a finger, Qingyao, who had followed up, loudly proclaimed, "This is the sixth victory of surrendering at the mere sight of the enemy! Lord Zhao's might is unparalleled; no general of our time can surpass you!"

That flattery went too far; Fukang'an and Hailancha are still around.

Zhao An reined in the mule, nodded, and said with a smug look, "Winning without bloodshed, intimidating the enemy to surrender—this is the best strategy!"

Then, the wise gaze turned to the prisoners who had just surrendered, slumped on the ground, looking utterly hopeless.

Very fresh, just out of the oven.

Half an hour later, the prisoners were informed that they had been released.

As a result, the prisoners all said they would not run anymore because they were too tired to run. They now only wanted to be good citizens and obedient subjects of the court and would never be rebels again.

Even if you can't run, you have to keep running!

Zhao An was displeased and ordered Qing Yao to threaten the prisoners, saying that if they didn't run away, they would be resisting the imperial army, and their crime would be even more serious, and according to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, they should be beheaded on the spot.

Rather than being threatened with death, it was more like being encouraged by death that the three hundred unfortunate men could only get up with tears in their eyes and slowly "flee" northward, looking back every few steps.

Heaven knows what kind of medicine Qing Gou took to make him treat people like dirt.

"Let the brothers rest for a while, have some water and something to eat, and then chase after the rebels when they've run far enough away!"

Zhao An sat calmly under a withered tree, his demeanor displaying the air of a strategist.

"Whoo!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, all beaming with joy.

After an incense stick's time, the pursuit resumed.

The prisoners' performance this time was far too perfunctory. Upon hearing the shouts of battle behind them, they knelt down by the roadside without anyone reminding them, raising their hands in unison with practiced ease, as if they had rehearsed it, and shouted in unison, "We surrender! We surrender!"

Qingyao's voice, filled with barely suppressed laughter, resounded through the sky: "Seven victories in seven battles! Your Excellency's divine might!"

"Seven victories in seven battles, Your Excellency's divine might is unparalleled!"

The soldiers of the Yangzhou Green Standard Army and the brothers of the Canal Transport Gang responded in unison.

A satisfied smile finally appeared on Zhao An's face. Five victories in five battles was not enough; only seven victories in seven battles would make the old man feel at ease and would also make Zhao Youlu's divine might and courage famous throughout the land.

How could that old scoundrel Zhu Gui possibly be my enemy!

Yu Mule looked around, full of vigor: "Let's withdraw and return to Suzhou!"

"Whoo!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and the prisoners, who refused to run even when given the chance, were escorted back in a grand procession.

At this moment, Qingyao had only one thought in his mind: although this Lord Zhao Youlu was an honest and good official, his methods were really unorthodox!
(End of this chapter)