Qing Yao

Chapter 389 When Lord Zhao arrived, the people's hearts were warmed.
It's still quite cold in Huaibei in early winter, but the hearts of the people are warm.

Or rather, although it's cold now, it will be warm soon.

Because, the provincial governor, Lord Zhao, has arrived!

With his thin face and wearing a faded blue robe, Zhao An would have been mistaken for a poor scholar by anyone other than his large entourage.

Zhao An has lost weight recently. Well, what can you do? He's worried about the country and its people.

"Sir, Xiaowangzhuang is just ahead."

The local magistrate, Li Dequan, who was leading the way, cautiously pointed to the village at the foot of the mountain ahead. "The locals say that half of the men in this village have gone up the mountain to become salt bandits. It's not uncommon to call it a bandit den."

"Xiaowangzhuang?"

Zhao An was somewhat sensitive to the place name and subconsciously wanted to take a look through the binoculars. He then realized that he hadn't applied the Rendan Hu (a type of traditional Chinese medicine), so he nodded slightly and then glanced at the dilapidated thatched houses in the village. He noticed several sallow-faced and thin children hiding behind a tree, looking timidly in his direction. He became wary and only felt relieved when he saw that the tree the children were hiding under hadn't fallen.

Chicken feather letter, message tree.

Have to guard against it.

He raised his hand and ordered: "Soldiers are only allowed to camp outside the village and are not allowed to enter the houses inside the village. As for me, I will just stay in the village for the night."

"This"

Magistrate Li was stunned upon hearing this. "Sir, this estate doesn't even have a decent house."

"What? The common people can live here, but I, this official, cannot?"

Zhao An interrupted Magistrate Li indifferently and led his men straight towards the manor.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the thatched huts in the village were even more dilapidated than they had seen earlier. The earthen walls were crooked, the thatch was rotting, and there wasn't a single blue brick to be seen in the entire village, let alone half a red tile. It was even poorer than Zhao An's hometown in northern Jiangsu.

The only well in the village was dry. Apart from the old locust tree that looked like it had been there for ages, there wasn't a single tree or even a patch of green to be seen in the entire village.

Combined with the barren mountain ridges in the distance, it gives a feeling of utter lifelessness.

The group walked around the village but didn't see any villagers, presumably they were all hiding in fear. Finally, Zhao An stopped under the old locust tree and instructed his attendants, "Bring the things here."

An attendant hurriedly brought over the governor's brand-new second-rank official robes, but Zhao An pushed them away, saying, "These aren't official robes; I need your carrying pole."

A carrying pole?

Magistrate Li, standing to the side, looked completely bewildered. "Sir, what's going on?"

"Fetch water."

Zhao An spoke succinctly, “Didn’t you see that all the wells in the village are dry?” Then he instructed his entourage and personal guards, “Those who know how to fetch water, come with me to fetch water. Those who don’t know how, go help the villagers repair their houses. If you really don’t know how, you can help the villagers clear the weeds in front of their doors. In short, you are only allowed to do good deeds, and you are not allowed to do bad deeds!”

"Whoo!"

Having long understood that the provincial governor valued the close bond between the military and the people, the soldiers scattered to work, and the lifeless village of Xiaowangzhuang was suddenly transformed into an unprecedented spectacle—a high-ranking official of the second rank led his soldiers through the village paths, their carrying poles creaking as clear water was poured into the water tanks of each household. The Green Standard Army soldiers, usually feared by the villagers, now seemed like completely different people, doing good deeds throughout the village.

At first, the villagers were so frightened that they stayed indoors, not knowing what the officials and soldiers wanted to do. It wasn't until they saw soldiers repairing the leaky roof of Wang Laoshuan's house at the village entrance that people started to peek out.

“Grandpa, the thatched roof should have been replaced long ago. Otherwise, if it rains and it's freezing cold and leaks, where will you live?”

Zhao An, who had already filled the water tank of a villager's house, was now standing on a ladder, skillfully weaving thatch while talking to Wang Laoshuan, who was squatting below, not daring to move an inch.

"grown ups,"

Old Wang, who was over sixty years old, had never seen anything like this before, nor had he ever received such treatment. He didn't know what to do with his hands, and looked flustered and nervous.

"Sir, how could this kind of work be done by you?"

Magistrate Li, who was holding the ladder, was very worried, fearing that the acting governor might lose his footing and fall, suffering a concussion. His mind was filled with thoughts of whether or not he should catch Lord Zhao if he really fell.
"I come from a peasant family, how could I not know how to do farm work?"

Zhao An chuckled softly, his mind drifting back to childhood memories. "When I was little, I often helped my family repair the roof, and I even went fishing in the river with my mother. By the way, old lady, how many sons do you have?"

The second half of the question was clearly directed at Wang Laoshuan, who was too afraid to speak. As a result, the question frightened the old man so much that his face turned pale and his lips trembled, unable to utter a word.

Magistrate Li, who was standing nearby, had already learned about the situation from the village head and hurriedly whispered, "Sir, both of his sons have gone up the mountain."

"Have you gone up the mountain?"

Zhao An paused for a moment, then continued weaving thatch. "Whether they go up the mountain or down to the sea, they are still their parents' flesh and blood. Old lady, do you miss your two sons?"

These words brought tears to Wang Laoshuan's eyes, and he wiped his face haphazardly with the back of his rough hands: "How could I not want to, but..."

Before Wang Laoshuan could finish speaking, Zhao An interrupted him: "It's alright, I'll fix the roof for you, and then I'll have your sons come back to take care of you."

His tone was calm and natural, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

Then she stopped asking Wang Laoshuan anything and focused solely on fixing the roof for the old man.

The facts cannot be erased or questioned.

The villagers witnessed the officials and soldiers doing good deeds in the village, and gradually, more and more people came out of their homes. Some boldly asked the soldiers to help them chop firewood, while others timidly asked to repair their fences.
The once lifeless village of Xiaowangzhuang was now filled with laughter and joy, a testament to the deep bond between the military and the people.

As evening fell, Zhao An, who had just finished repairing Wang Laoshuan's roof, sat under the old locust tree and chatted with the villagers who were no longer afraid of him. They talked about how many children each family had, how their income was this year, and whether they had enough food.

It may be a cliché, but it's the easiest way to touch people's hearts and get closer to the villagers.

Ordinary people don't care what grand principles you talk about; they just hope that officials can care about their basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

More and more villagers gathered around, and they began to talk about the village's difficulties.

Zhao An listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

He also had a small notebook on his lap. Whenever the villagers mentioned anything important or any major grievances, he would carefully write it down and then tell them in an unquestionable tone that the government would resolve these issues.

If the government officials don't resolve the issue, he'll resolve the issue with the officials.

The magistrate, Li, standing nearby, felt a chill run down his spine.

Finally, under Zhao An's intense heat, an old woman suddenly knelt down and pleaded, "Sir, although they took my son up the mountain, he's not a bad person. Please, sir, have mercy and spare his life!"

This act of kneeling seemed to open a floodgate, and one after another, people knelt down, weeping and recounting the hardships their relatives had endured by climbing the mountain, begging the government to pardon them.

Zhao An was certainly aware of the situation.

Since the implementation of the "Four Main and Six Sides" strategy, the offensive against the salt bandits has achieved significant results. With the combined efforts of military and political forces, the periphery of the salt bandits has been largely eliminated, and hundreds of salt bandits have surrendered or defected. It is estimated that there are still about two thousand salt bandits hiding in the Jiushan area, following the two traitors Xie and Yang.

This was also the backbone of the salt bandits.

Currently, nearly 8,000 officers and soldiers from the Huainan and Huaibei Green Standard Army, along with 1,000 Imperial Guards dispatched by the Governor-General's Office, have cut off all contact between Jiushan and the outside world, and are conducting a search of the surrounding area of ​​Jiushan to further reduce the space for salt bandits to operate.

At this point, the situation was equivalent to the final preparations before the general offensive. Considering that the salt bandits were all desperate criminals, and some of them were locals who were very familiar with the terrain, Zhao An had been working on "working" with the local villagers recently to avoid being ambushed by the salt bandits.

As long as the locals among the salt bandits can be separated, the remaining bandits will not be able to hold out for long. Zhao An planned to end this bandit suppression war before the Spring Festival and return to Anqing to be with his wife and children.

All means should be tried as long as they are conducive to achieving this goal.

"Don't worry, folks, I'm not here to suppress bandits, but to bring your loved ones home!"

Looking with deep affection at the weathered faces before him, Zhao An's voice was gentle yet firm, "Your relatives were also forced to join the Liangshan bandits. As long as they are willing to come down the mountain and return home, the government will forgive and forget about them!"

After receiving Zhao An's affirmative reply, the villagers were naturally moved, and many of them took the initiative to express their willingness to go into the mountains to persuade their relatives to return home.

Zhao An was more than happy to do so and ordered the Green Standard Army to send these villagers into the mountains.

Soon, a few salt bandits surrendered after being persuaded by their relatives. Although they were ragged and emaciated, they remained wary of the government troops.

But when they saw their newly renovated home, the smiles on their wives' and children's faces, and Lord Zhao, dressed in coarse cloth, welcoming them with a smile, all their doubts vanished.

Under the influence of persuasion efforts, more than a hundred salt bandits have come down from the mountains. They have provided the officers and soldiers with a great deal of intelligence about the mountains, which has facilitated the Green Standard Army's further encirclement and suppression.

As time went on, Zhao An knew it was time to end the "political work" and that the next step was to launch a military strike against the salt bandits who refused to come out of the mountains.

Because Xie and Yang were truly stubborn and incorrigible, An Deshun, the Assistant Magistrate of Fengyang, had no effect on their efforts to subdue them. Not only did they refuse to release Baili Yunlong, they also attempted to take advantage of the complex terrain of Jiushan to fight a major battle against the Qing army.

Perhaps Xie and Yang still believed that their fists were stronger than the Qing army's swords and spears, or perhaps they knew that their White Lotus sect affiliation would never be "forgiven" by the government.

After the great victory in Suzhou, Zhao An was no different from a "heretic" in the eyes of the White Lotus sect members.

The first bandit stronghold that had to be destroyed was a place called Black Rock Village. This village was built against the mountain and was located in a very dangerous place. There was only one narrow mountain road that could be passed through it.

According to the salt bandits who surrendered after coming down the mountain, the stronghold was guarded by Xie Hongwu, the younger brother of the leader Xie Hongyi. The bandits numbered three or four hundred and were not only well-equipped but also had more than thirty muskets.

Capturing Black Rock Village would provide direct access to the salt bandits' lair, so the Xie brothers built numerous defensive structures around the village, making it highly likely that government troops would suffer heavy losses if they launched a direct assault.

General Qin Guodong of Shouchun Town was unable to personally lead the troops due to old age and injury. The commander of the model soldiers in Shouchun Town was Lieutenant General Wang Dingfang.

With the purging of Fu Biao, Wang Dingfang, a deputy commander, became the highest-ranking general on the front lines of the encirclement and suppression campaign.

Both for public and private reasons, Zhao An should ask for the other party's opinion, because the troops of Shouchun Town and Huainan's various detachments and battalions are the main attacking force on the south side, while the troops of Huaibei Town are the supporting force on the north side.

"My lord, I believe we should end this battle quickly!"

General Wang underestimated the salt bandits, believing that although Black Rock Village was easy to defend and difficult to attack, our army outnumbered the enemy five to one, so we could definitely break through the village in one fell swoop.

As for the fact that the salt bandits were able to defeat the Green Standard Army in northern Anhui many times before, Lieutenant General Wang attributed the reason to the fact that the Green Standard Army in northern Anhui was too useless.

Zhao An simply nodded slightly without directly refuting him, and then ordered the generals to gather in the main tent for a meeting.

Half an hour later, a dozen generals from the Fubiao and Huainan Green Standard Army lined up on both sides of the central command tent, along with several officers from the Fubiao who had led a thousand Fubiao soldiers to participate in the battle.

Zhao An sat in the main seat, holding a porcelain bowl in his hand.

Zhao An acquired this porcelain bowl by chance and found it strange and interesting at the time because the bottom of the bowl was engraved with the words "Made in the Kangxi period of the Ming Dynasty".

Made during the Kangxi reign of the Ming Dynasty?

Isn't that a bastard?
But this porcelain bowl is definitely not a fake, because Zhao An learned that there are even versions made during the Qianlong period of the Ming Dynasty.

The reason is certainly not that the craftsmen were nostalgic for the Ming Dynasty, but that the name "Ming" held far greater value in the "foreign trade" market than "Qing".

The same product, printed with the words "Ming Dynasty," can sell for 100 coins, but printed with the words "Qing Dynasty," it can only sell for 30 coins.

With such huge profits at stake, it's only natural to print the Ming Dynasty logo.

All indications suggest that not only Emperor Kangxi, but even the current Emperor Qianlong tacitly acknowledged the existence of this absurd reign title.

Who doesn't like money?

Besides, it's not for domestic sales.

After all the generals had arrived, Zhao An went straight to the point and asked for their opinions.

"grown ups!"

A garrison commander with a full beard was the first to step forward. He shared the same opinion as Lieutenant General Wang: the Qing army had superior numbers, and there was no need to be too cautious in dealing with a small village guarded by only three or four hundred men.

Zhao An smiled slightly and asked the garrison commander, "If you were to lead troops to attack, how many soldiers would you need, and how many days would it take to break through?"

The garrison commander raised his head and said, "Give me a thousand elite soldiers, and I will surely break through this camp within three days!"

Zhao An nodded and asked, "How many soldiers will be lost?"

"this."

The garrison commander hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are always casualties in war. I estimate we'll lose two or three hundred men."

Zhao An neither agreed nor disagreed, then looked at the other generals: "What do you all think?"

Commander Du Du hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Sir, I think Commander Zhang is too optimistic. The Black Rock Village is located in a dangerous area, and a strong attack would likely result in greater losses. At present, the salt bandits' communication with the outside world has been cut off by our army. I think that as long as we surround them, the salt bandits will collapse on their own without a fight in a short time. So why bother with a strong attack!"

Du Du, who had been following the governor closely, clearly knew the governor's thoughts, and thus this was a gesture of support.

Zhao An stood up and walked to the map hanging in the tent: "Do you all know why the salt bandits of Black Rock Village have been able to occupy this place for so many years?"

Seeing that everyone remained silent, he continued, "It's not because they are so brave and skilled in battle, but because they are familiar with the terrain and can come and go as they please. When our army arrives, they retreat into their camp; when we leave, they come out to move again. If we launch a strong attack on this camp, our officers and soldiers will suffer heavy losses. If we can capture this camp, that will be fine, but if we cannot, our morale will be affected."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "If I am not mistaken, those salt bandits are also hoping for a strong attack from the government troops."

The generals seemed to be deep in thought after hearing this.

Du Du quickly replied, "What does Your Excellency mean?"

"What we need to do is not launch a full-scale attack, but prevent them from getting out!"

Zhao An slammed his bamboo whip down on the map, shouting, "We must fortify our stronghold and fight a tough battle!"

"Build a stronghold and fight a tough battle?"

The generals looked at each other, puzzled.

"The so-called 'building a stronghold' means not being afraid of trouble, not seeking shortcuts, but advancing steadily and step by step; fighting a tough battle is not about head-on confrontation, but about fighting a battle that we are confident of winning, a battle that we are certain of victory!"

Zhao An's tone was resolute. Strictly speaking, the Battle of Suzhou was not a major battle he personally commanded; this bandit suppression was. Therefore, only victory was allowed, and defeat was not permitted.

Therefore, adventurism must never be allowed to emerge.

With resources, time, favorable timing, advantageous location, and popular support all on his side, how could he risk a direct assault?

(End of this chapter)