The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 1: Tomorrow, pay will be distributed at the drill ground. Do not wear military armor!

In the second year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty, Huang Taiji personally led the Eight Banners army, bypassed the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line, and launched a surprise attack on Da'ankou and Xifengkou in Jizhou, breaking through the walls and entering the pass. This event is known in history as the Jisi Incident.

"Damn it, what kind of bird king is this? We haven't had any food for three days!"

Jiang Han cursed under his breath, spat out the dry grass root in his mouth, then rolled over and lay lazily on the earthen slope.

"How did I end up working my way up to the Ming Dynasty?"

Jiang Han stared intently at the gloomy sky and muttered to himself.

Jiang Han was completely baffled by his own experience of time travel.

Although he was usually obsessed with historical novels, he never expected that he would travel back to the late Ming Dynasty and become a military household in the Ming Dynasty.

Fortunately, he was not an ordinary military household like a serf or tenant farmer, but a garrison captain in Yansui Town.

Although Yansui Town, as one of the nine important border towns, is not as powerful as it used to be, it still retains some basic training.

Therefore, Jiang Han's body was still quite agile, and his armor was relatively complete, so he could barely be considered a brave soldier in the garrison. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been pulled out to serve the emperor.

Since Huang Taiji entered the pass from Jizhou in October and broke through Zunhua, his army was heading straight for the capital of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming court was shocked and urgently ordered the border troops to return to defend the capital.

Zhang Mengjing, the governor of Yansui, and Wu Zimian, the general, were ordered to lead 5,000 elite troops to rush to the capital to defend the emperor. Jiang Han was one of the soldiers in this army.

"Second Brother Han, get up quickly, something's happened!"

Jiang Han looked up at the sound and saw a soldier with a swollen face, wearing a tattered red jacket, running hurriedly toward him.

This is his subordinate, Dong Erzhu. The two are childhood friends and neighbors, and have a deep bond, always referring to each other as brothers.

"What's wrong, Zhu Zi? Why are you so panicked? Are the Tartars here?"

Seeing Dong Erzhu panting heavily, Jiang Han quickly grabbed the goose-feather knife beside him, climbed up from the earthen slope, and asked with a frown.

"General Wu seized all our military rations and sold them off. Governor Zhang... Governor Zhang was so angry that he died!"

Dong Erzhu, panting heavily, dropped a bombshell.

"What? What did you say?"

Jiang Han's eyes widened, and his voice rose several decibels.

"All the military rations have been sold out? Has the governor been driven mad with anger?"

Jiang Han looked incredulous and quickly asked Erzhu to confirm this shocking news.

Dong Erzhu nodded with a bitter face.

"This is a loyal army to the emperor! If we run out of food, how can we defend the emperor?" This news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Jiang Han momentarily stunned.

Dong Erzhu swallowed hard and continued:
"Not only military rations, but even the military horses were taken out and sold by General Wu. He also said that as long as each person paid ten taels of silver, they could go home and would not have to fight the Tartars."

"The brothers in the rear camp have started a commotion at the drill ground. Second Brother Han, you should go and take a look!"

Jiang Han stood there, his mind blank. This was the Ming Dynasty?
The military commander of one of the nine key border towns openly embezzled military rations, stole and sold military horses, and even blatantly extorted soldiers? The governor was so angry that he died.

Jiang Han and Dong Erzhu ran all the way and soon arrived at the training ground.

At this moment, a large group of soldiers had gathered on the drill ground, their faces filled with anger, whispering among themselves.

Many soldiers who had heard the news were rushing over from their respective camps, making the scene increasingly chaotic.

"Please don't worry, everyone! General Wu has already requested grain from the Ministry of War. Once the imperial rations arrive, they will be distributed immediately!"

Jiang Han squeezed through the crowd and saw his superior, Wang Jun, standing in the middle, all smiles, trying his best to reassure the soldiers.

"Commander Wang, we haven't had any food for three days. We can't go to the capital on an empty stomach, can we?"

"I heard that all the military rations were taken away and sold, and the governor was so angry that he died. Is that true?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar, with soldiers complaining one after another.

The soldiers' faces were filled with anger and helplessness. They hadn't been fed for three days, and the food they had brought with them was about to run out.

We're about to enter the capital region. How can we fight the Tartars on an empty stomach?
Just then, a furious soldier suddenly swung his goose-feather saber and shouted:
"Damn it, we're done! Brothers, grab your weapons and let's go find the commander-in-chief and get some answers!"

"Yes! Go and find out!"

This shout ignited the entire scene, and the soldiers immediately responded, brandishing their weapons and shouting as they surged toward the central command tent.

Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Wang Jun's expression changed. He slammed his helmet to the ground with a loud bang and shouted:
"Let's see who dares! Do you think you can turn the world upside down?!"

Having said that, he quickly drew the goose-feather knife from his waist, held it horizontally in front of everyone, and struck a pose as if he were ready to die.

Fortunately, Wang Jun was fair and kind to his subordinates, which prevented him from being killed by the angry soldiers.

But the soldiers remained enraged, gripping their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on Wang Jun. Tensions were high, and a mutiny seemed imminent. Seeing his superior in danger, Jiang Han quickly stepped forward and explained to the menacing soldiers:

"Brothers, trespassing into the central command tent is a serious crime of rebellion! We are all government troops, and we cannot bear such a charge!"

Upon hearing the word "rebellion," the soldiers' expressions changed, and a hint of tension appeared on their faces.

Seeing this, Jiang Han seized the opportunity to continue persuading:

"Everyone, don't rush. Let's send the commander to General Wu to find out what's going on first, and then we can make a decision!"

The soldiers exchanged glances. Although they still harbored resentment, they were ultimately intimidated and nodded, temporarily agreeing to Jiang Han's suggestion.

But they still refused to leave, standing there with their weapons in hand, clearly determined to get an explanation today.

"Commander, you'd better go and ask right away! If this drags on any longer, there might really be a mutiny!"

Seeing this, Jiang Han quickly advised Wang Jun, who looked nervous.

Wang Jun glanced gratefully at Jiang Han, then looked back at the group of soldiers poised for battle. He gritted his teeth, turned, and ran towards the central army camp.

At this moment, in the central army camp, General Wu Zimian sat at his desk with a worried expression, his mind in turmoil.

He embezzled military rations and resold military horses, originally just wanting to make some extra money, but unexpectedly he angered Governor Zhang Mengjing to the point of his death.

To make matters worse, it is said that Zhang Mengjing wrote a letter before his death and handed it to Yang He, the governor of the three border regions.

What if this letter reaches the Emperor? Will he still be able to save his life? Wu Zimian became more and more panicked as he thought about it, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Just then, Wang Jun hurriedly entered the tent, cupped his hands, and urgently reported:
"Commander, something terrible has happened!"

"The soldiers of the rear guard are gathered outside the camp, agitated, saying they haven't had any food for three days and they want an explanation!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Zimian's face immediately darkened. He slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and roared:
"These soldiers are incredibly audacious. They dare to gather in front of the central command tent and cause trouble after only a few days without food. Are they planning a rebellion?"

"I'm going to the Ministry of War to collect the pay, what's the rush? Do you think I'm going to let them starve?!"

Despite saying that, Wu Zimian had no intention of distributing the money and grain.

He had gone to great lengths to withhold this batch of money and grain, and even the governor Zhang Mengjing was so angered by him that he vomited blood and died.

If we obediently send it out now, wouldn't it be a waste of time and effort?

But he also knew that the soldiers outside were not easy to deal with.

If a mutiny were to break out, not only would he lose his position as general, but he might also lose his life.

Wu Zimian broke out in a cold sweat, secretly calculating how to stabilize the situation, both to preserve the money and food and to appease the hungry soldiers.

Just as Wu Zimian was frowning and in a dilemma, a clerk in the corner of the tent stepped forward and whispered:

"Does Your Excellency know about the events in Jizhou during the reign of Emperor Shenzong?"

Wu Zimian frowned slightly, looked up at his advisor, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes:
"You mean... the mutiny in Jizhou?"

The aide nodded slightly, his expression calm:
"Exactly! Back then, the Southern soldiers rioted because of unpaid wages. General Wang Bao of Jizhou pretended to appease them, lured them to the drill ground, and then killed them all when they were off guard, thus quelling the rebellion in one fell swoop."

He paused, his gaze meaningful: "Why doesn't the General follow the example of what happened in Jizhou?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jun's expression changed drastically. He quickly stepped forward and repeatedly advised:

"General Wu, the brothers only wanted to inquire about the whereabouts of the pay. How could this be considered a mutiny? Please, sir, see the truth!"

Before he could finish speaking, Wu Zimian's face suddenly darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table, shouting sharply:

"Guards! Seize Wang Jun, the mastermind of the mutiny, and keep him under strict guard!"

Inside the drill ground, the soldiers were restless, waiting for news from Commander Wang.

At this moment, a clerk with a gloomy face came out, followed by several guards carrying several heavy boxes.

He slowly walked up to the soldiers, coldly surveyed them, and then raised his hand to signal his personal guards to open the boxes one by one.

The lid of the box was slowly lifted, revealing piles of gold and silver jewelry, leaving everyone stunned.

Seeing the stunned soldiers, the clerk's lips curled into a slight smile as he explained:
"The General loves his soldiers like his own children. He has specially taken out his own property and ordered me to distribute the pay to you all first to relieve your urgent needs!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers became excited and pushed and shoved each other, trying to get forward to receive their pay, creating a chaotic scene.

Seeing the chaotic scene before him, the clerk frowned and shouted sternly:
"Quiet down, all of you! How am I supposed to pay salaries with this chaos?! What if something goes wrong?!"

He paused, his gaze turning somber, and slowly began to speak:
"The General has ordered! Pay will be distributed at the drill ground tomorrow, but soldiers are not permitted to wear armor!"

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(End of this chapter)