Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 147 Refugee Chaos! May I betroth my daughter to you?

A few days later.

Western suburbs.

Anping Army Camp.

After the morning drills, the soldiers finally got some time to relax.

Zhang Sishu, the "village elder," sat on a large rock in the drill ground, holding a coarse grain bun in his hand, eating it with a little bit of pickled vegetables, and enjoying it very much.

There was a man next to me, also eating a steamed bun, who didn't care at all about the crumbs on his hands, and even licked his dirty fingers clean.

But afterwards, he looked worried.

"Elder, why don't you go ask Zhang Lanying? She's well-connected in the capital; perhaps she can arrange some work for us."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Sishu immediately put on a stern face.

"What are you saying? Lan Ying finally found a job in the city, and she has a baby to take care of. What kind of burden would we rough men be to her?"

In Zhang Sishu's view, it was Zhang Lanying's good fortune to be able to enter that clinic. Their rashly asking her for help would only make things difficult for her.

For a woman, it must have been quite difficult to make a living in the capital.

The man sighed and continued.

“We all understand, aren’t we just desperate? Lately, everyone in the barracks has been terrified.”

Zhang Sishu was stunned for a moment, and then a worried look appeared on his face.

How could he not know?
In recent days, the refugees have been living in fear and unease. Although they don't say it out loud, they all know in their hearts that the good days of Anping Army are probably coming to an end.

The imperial court intends to disband the Anping Army!
For the refugees in the military camp, the days when they had plenty of coarse grain buns, rice porridge, and pickled vegetables were gone forever.

No one wanted to leave Anping Army, even though they were under the control of the army camp and had to do some corvée labor, such as paving roads and building bridges.

However, no one wanted to leave Anping Army. No matter how hard life was, they could still make a living by digging for food in the countryside.
Although the occasional brown rice is old rice, it's something that can only be eaten during the Lunar New Year in the countryside.

Steamed buns and pickled vegetables aren't exactly gourmet food, but they can fill you up!

What kind of life did you live in the countryside before?
Even with all-day labor, it's impossible to guarantee a full meal, let alone brown rice with almost no grit!
For these refugees, being able to eat a full meal is the happiest day of their lives!

But these days are about to come to an end.

Only a few skilled individuals were able to be incorporated into the imperial army.

Many of the elderly had experienced life in exile and were very familiar with the laws and regulations of the imperial court.

Once they arrive in the capital, they might be able to get a meal and be kept alive for the time being, but eventually the court will still send them back to their hometowns.

Under the influence of this huge gap and the anxiety about the future, many unusual voices gradually emerged in the military camp.

"Damn it!"

Another man strode over from the training ground and spat out a mouthful of saliva.

"Elder, we can't go on like this. I heard that in the capital, Master Zhang has been dismissed from his post by the emperor."

We, a group of soldiers from Shanxi, naturally had no one to rely on.

I heard that the emperor not only intends to punish Master Zhang, but also us!

"Zhang Hangzi! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Seeing the man rambling incoherently, Zhang Sishu became anxious and slapped him on the head.

The man didn't dare to resist; he just covered his head, looking aggrieved, and muttered something in a low voice.

"That's what everyone's saying. That Mr. Zhang Ziwei is from Shanxi, so we thought he would definitely help us, but unexpectedly he also met with misfortune."

Clearly, Zhang Hangzi must have heard some rumors from outside.

Zhang Sishu sighed heavily and said.

"Calm down, Zhang Hangzi, why are you making such a fuss when you rarely hang out with those guys in the military camp?"

That Master Zhang might not be a good person, and the emperor might not be a bad person.

Gossiping like this will only bring trouble upon yourself. Do you really want to harm everyone in the village?

"And then there's Master Zhang, and the other merchants in the city."

These days, Zhang Sishu has come to see things more clearly, and he said with a cold smile.

"Whether Master Zhang is guilty or not is still unknown, but do you really think that master would take care of us soldiers? Have you forgotten how you were driven out of the village and how you lost your land?"

Would gentlemen really be that kind?

"But he's still one of us from Shanxi," the man still held onto a sliver of hope.

Not wanting to explain to these simple-minded men, Zhang Sishu simply glared at them and said.

"Don't you listen to me? Am I the elder of the village, or are you? Don't cause trouble, all of you better behave yourselves!"

Fortunately, Zhang Sishu still had some prestige in the village, and these dozens of men finally settled down.

However, something still happened in Anping's military camp that night.

barracks.

Zhang Sishu was a light sleeper, and a sudden commotion and firelight woke him from his dream.

In the dim light, Zhang Sishu heard many people shouting something outside the tent.

"When the world is in chaos, the White Lotus will flourish."

"A vacuum-bound homeland, an unborn mother."

Upon hearing these slogans, Zhang Sishu was instantly jolted awake. He immediately got up and woke up the men around him.

"Hangzi! Gouzi! Get up! There's trouble outside."

Hearing the commotion outside, the men were startled and immediately got up, putting on their helmets and armor and taking out their weapons.

As the men in the barracks saw the flickering firelight outside, their hearts began to pound with apprehension.

Zhang Hangzi came to Zhang Sishu's side and said in a low voice.

"Elder, I think it's those people causing trouble. Whose side should we take?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Sishu immediately flew into a rage. He jumped up and slapped the other man on the head.

"Whose side should we help? Whose side should we help? Whose side should we help!"

In the dark, his large, yellow teeth were clearly visible as he spoke angrily.

"White Lotus Rebellion bandits! They're traitors! It's a death sentence! Tell me, whose side are we on? If you bring this up again, I'll send you to the Duke for military justice!"

Zhang Hangzi looked panicked and nodded repeatedly.

"Elder, I understand. But you can't send me to the Duke."

Zhang Rong, the Duke of England, was the de facto commander-in-chief of the Anping Army.

If he knew about Zhang Hangzi's remarks, a beating would be the least of his worries; he would most likely be beheaded and his head displayed in public.

Zhang Sishu frowned and said.

“You guys better be smart. The commander usually trains us. In the past, when it came to fighting for water and land in the countryside, our village never lost a point!”
Today is our chance to prove ourselves! Grab your weapons and give it our all! If we can capture or kill a few rebels, we'll have nothing to worry about in the future!

"Don't worry, elder! This spear is much more effective than the carrying poles and hoes we have in our village!"

The men all had fierce glints in their eyes.

But Zhang Sishu still reminded him.

"Don't be reckless. Protecting your own lives is the most important thing. You should act according to the situation."

After giving another series of instructions, Zhang Sishu felt relieved and led the group of men out with their weapons.

That night, chaos broke out in Anping's army. Sometime during the night, White Lotus rebels had planted and developed many followers in the military camp.

These people were either misled by the White Lotus Sect's doctrines, or bribed by others; in more extreme cases, they had become addicted to the black incense provided by the White Lotus Sect.

Many displaced people within the Anping army already harbored resentment, and with the various reports in recent days, they began to plot an uprising, daring to agree to start a rebellion tonight.

These people have not read many books and cannot even read a single character.

Once slightly incited, their blood boiled, and they followed the White Lotus Sect bandits, taking advantage of the gradual easing of the plague in the city, the turmoil in the court, and the lax defenses of the military camps, intending to disrupt the camp.

A few hundred men stirred up the ranks of thousands in the military camp, setting fires everywhere and attempting to seize the cannons and muskets within the camp.

Amidst the raging flames, many refugees scattered and fled, while others were coerced into joining the rebel army.

Fortunately, Zhang Yunxiu's previous arrangements have been somewhat effective. In the past month, the Anping Army has not only been conducting physical training, but also had special personnel read aloud to them the contents of the "Wanli Xinbao" newspaper.

Anecdotal stories were naturally the most popular items in the Wanli Xinbao newspaper.

However, the numerous introductions to imperial decrees and the promotion of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism ultimately did have some effect.

In the past, most of the refugees would probably have been "bewitched" by the White Lotus rebels, but thanks to the simple knowledge dissemination provided by the Wanli Xinbao newspaper.

The refugees in the western suburbs, who usually basked in the glorious light of the great Emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty, naturally had their evil spirits "purified".

Of course, another reason was that the remarkable success in dealing with the plague in the capital established an authoritative effect for the Wanli Xinbao newspaper.

In addition, among the refugees, there were often "village elders" like Zhang Sishu who served as squad leaders to maintain order, and most of the refugees remained relatively clear-headed.

The White Lotus Rebellion had originally planned a large-scale rebellion, but unexpectedly, it only involved a few hundred people and was quickly quelled before dawn.

When the sun rises as usual.

Outside the training grounds of the western suburbs, Duke Zhang Rong of England, clad in armor, arrived at the training grounds early.

His face was ashen as he looked at the one or two hundred rebel soldiers being escorted.

Last night, upon learning of the rebellion in the main camp, Zhang Rong rode out of the city with more than two hundred men from the capital garrison and easily wiped out the rebels.

The remaining one or two hundred prisoners were also bound hand and foot and escorted to the drill ground.

Zhang Rong glanced at the dejected, fearful young refugees who were begging for mercy.

There were some promising talents among them that he had high hopes for and even wanted to take to the Beijing Garrison for training, but today he had no choice but to kill them!
"General! We were foolish! General, please spare us!"

"Great General, spare my life!"

We'll never do it again!

The rebels cried and begged for mercy, but Zhang Rong remained unmoved.

He turned his head away and said without any mercy.

"cut!"

With Zhang Rong's command, hundreds of goose-feather blades fell simultaneously, followed by countless heads hitting the ground.

The crying stopped abruptly, and the air was filled with the stench of blood.

As the commander-in-chief of the Five Armies, Duke Zhang Rong of England naturally had the power of life and death over these rebel troops.

All around, the young and strong refugees standing in the queue were all silent with fear.

Some people stared at the rolling head on the ground, becoming somewhat out of control, even experiencing mental breakdowns.

Several refugees hiding among them trembled with fear, some even kneeling and begging for mercy while wailing.

Zhang Rong frowned deeply. He glanced at the wailing refugees and spoke to his adjutant beside him.

"Bring these people out for interrogation. Those who collude with the White Lotus Rebels will be shown no leniency. The ringleaders and all the remaining members of the White Lotus Rebels will be sent to the Ministry of Justice prison to await His Majesty's judgment!"

"Yes!" The adjutant also looked serious.

A mutiny in the capital's military camps? This hasn't happened in many years.

In the past, many generals of the Beijing garrison disagreed with incorporating these soldiers, feeling that they were unruly and difficult to manage.

After today's events, the voices of opposition are clearly much louder.

Following this, Zhang Rong made some arrangements within the military camp, mainly to prevent any misjudgments from arising there.

After dealing with the rebels, he hurried back to the main tent with a furrowed brow.

Last night's commotion didn't cause any major trouble, but Zhang Rong still knew in his heart that this was not a long-term solution.

In the past, the imperial court used a limited relief method for such refugees, providing a limited amount of relief rice porridge.

This has one "advantage": the large number of refugees entrenched in the suburbs will not starve to death immediately, but they also lack the strength to cause trouble.

Eventually, some people will be unable to hold on, and those who remain will have no strength left to rebel.

Once everything is settled, the court can then legitimately send these people back to their hometowns.

This method is cruel, but very effective. It can avoid many unnecessary troubles and even save the court money and grain.

The imperial court has always done it this way, but one person disagrees.

He saved the lives of most of the refugees, even allowing them to recover and giving them a way to survive.

But is there a way to have it all in this world?
If he wanted these people to live, he had to figure out how to deal with their rebellion; otherwise, if a major mess was caused, both he and the other side would be held responsible!
Thinking of this, Zhang Rong took a deep breath, flung open the curtain of the large tent, and strode in. He immediately saw the young man who was stirring up trouble in the capital.

At this moment, the boy showed no sign of worry whatsoever. Instead, he was frantically eating grapes from the table in the main tent, his cheeks bulging as if he had never seen grapes before.

"Cough cough~"

Zhang Rong coughed, walked to the desk, sat down, looked at the young man opposite him, and couldn't help but speak.

"You're a strange fellow. I asked you to go outside and witness the execution, but you made excuses about not being able to stand seeing people being killed."

Outside, blood is flowing freely, but you seem completely unaffected, still enjoying a delicious meal inside the tent.

Zhang Yunxiu spat out a grape skin and said with a hint of helplessness.

"How does Your Excellency know that I am unharmed? If I were not afraid of seeing the crowds outside, I would not be sour grapes."

In May and June, the taste of these Ming grapes is really hard to praise.

Before the season arrived, the nobles in the capital had to have grapes transported from the south to enjoy them.

How good can it taste?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rong was taken aback. Even though he was in a heavy mood, he was amused by the other person's words.

"Hahaha~ You're really something else, kid~"

After laughing, he spoke seriously.

"Now that you are a military officer, you should really boost your courage, observe more executions, and see blood, so that you won't be cowardly when facing battle in the future."

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "If it is a vicious and wicked person, I will stand aside and clap my hands in delight when I see their head fall to the ground."

Seeing these ordinary people being beheaded, I dared not even glance at them.

"You think these people are completely innocent?" Zhang Rong seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

“It’s not that I think they’re innocent,” Zhang Yunxiu said frankly. “The imperial court has its own laws, and there are also laws within the military camp. Those who cause trouble in the camp should be dealt with according to military law. The Anping Army receives military pay and should abide by military laws.”

Zhang Rong was somewhat puzzled: "Then what is this?"

With a heavy sigh, Zhang Yunxiu said meaningfully.

"I feel sorry for them. Most of these refugees just wanted to beg for food, but they were misled by the White Lotus cult bandits and committed such wrongdoings. They were used and lost their lives, while those who used them can go unpunished. How can one not feel sorry and pity for them?"

After saying this, Zhang Yunxiu looked very sad, but he carefully observed the other person's expression.

To his disappointment, even Zhang Rong seemed somewhat evasive, and he shook his head as he spoke.

"This matter is complex and difficult to resolve; it is a complex issue that cannot be solved in a short time."

Old Deng seems straightforward, but he's also playing coy.

Zhang Yunxiu was slightly disappointed, but he was used to it, so he cheered himself up and said.

"The matter of the White Lotus Sect bandits is naturally for my father and the others to worry about. The refugees were protected by me, Zhang Yunxiu, so I should give them a way out and not let them lose their lives in vain."

"You are quite frank."

Zhang Rong looked surprised and shook his head helplessly, offering a reminder.

“Give them a way out? How easy is that? Since ancient times, the problem of displaced people has been a difficult problem to solve. In the more than two hundred years since the founding of our Ming Dynasty, since the Zhengtong era, the problem of displaced people has emerged one after another. Many officials in the court have tried to solve it, but how many of them have been able to solve the problem?”

A nobleman like Zhang Rong was clearly not a fool; he had a very clear understanding of national issues.

However, even though everyone in the court knew that the country was in trouble and that things were not going to last, most people still thought about protecting themselves.

Those like Zhang Juzheng, who truly wanted to solve the problems, became the targets of public criticism!
"What if the kid can handle it?" Zhang Yunxiu said, squinting.

"What a loud tone!"

Zhang Rong clearly didn't quite believe it.

"Does Your Excellency dare to make a bet with me?" Zhang Yunxiu asked with a sly look on his face.

But Zhang Rong wasn't buying it. He rolled his eyes and said with a smile on his face.

"If you can find a way out for these 20,000 to 30,000 refugees, I will give my daughter to you in marriage!"

(End of this chapter)